V 
Division 


Received 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT  OF 


WILLIAM  OILMAN  THOMPSON. 


^jr**^ 

Library. 


Or 


THE  NORSE-FOLK; 


OK, 


A     VISIT     TO    THE 


Homes  of  Norway  and  Sweden 


BY 


Charles  Loring  Brace, 

AUTHOR  OF  "HUNGARY  IN   1851,"  AND  "HOME-LIFE  IN  GERMANY." 


NEW  YORK: 
CHARLES     SCRIBNER. 

877  AND  379  BROADWAY. 

1857. 


ENTKI:I'D   according  to   Aot  of  Congress,  in  the   j-enr  1857,  by 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


3KOROK   RUSSK1.I.   .v    TO.,  PRINTKRS. 


PREFACE. 


To  an  American,  a  visit  to  the  home  of  the  old  Northmen  is  a  visit 
back  to  his  forefathers'  house.  A  thousand  signs  tell  him  he  is  at  the 
cradle  of  the  race  which  leads  modern  enterprise,  and  whose  Viking- 
power  on  both  hemispheres  has  not  yet  ceased  to  be  felt.  In  giving 
a  sketch  of  a  journey  among  the  Norse-Folk,  it  has  seemed  to  me 
that  there  were  two  sides  which  should  most  of  all  interest  their 
descendants  and  kinsmen  in  the  New  World :  one,  the  associations 
and  memorials  which  connect  them  with  the  age  when  the  wild  energy 
of  the  race  was  transplanted  to  the  British  Islands,  and  even  touched 
briefly  in  its  enterprises  the  coasts  of  America ;  and  the  other,  the 
life  of  to-day. 

When  one  puts  his  mind  into  the  position  of  reading  a  book  of 
travels,  an  author  should  not  give  him  instead,  dry  historical  details ; 
still,  glimpses  and  scenes  of  the  past,  side-views  into  the  misty  per 
spectives  of  early  history,  suggestions,  quaint  superstitions,  relics  which 
keep  the  busy  present  in  connection  with  a  far-away  time,  can  surely 
be  properly  presented  in  the  traveller's  journal.  In  this  view,  while 
I  have  given  free  play  to  the  memories  which  constantly  and  naturally, 
through  various  associations,  bring  back  the  saga-period  and  the  days 
of  the  early  Norsemen,  I  have  left  out  of  view  the  modern  history, 
glorious  as  it  is,  of  the  Scandinavian  States. 

The  main  object  of  this  book,  however,  is  not  historical,  but  simply 
to  picture  the  life  of  to-day.  It  has  seemed  to  me  possible  to  present 
a  country  and  its  people  with  something  of  the  personal  and  living 
interest  with  which  they  come  before  a  traveller.  When  we  hear 
general  statements  on  the  polity  or  institutions  of  a  nation,  they  make, 
even  on  the  most  reflective  of  us,  only  a  faint  impression ;  but  when 
we  are  brought  into  intercourse  with  its  persons,  when  we  hear  their 
words,  see  their  manner,  and  study  their  habits ;  when  we  sit  at  their 

Hi 


iv  PREFACE. 

tables,  and  mingle  in  their  households,  and  become  familiar  with  their 
current  of  thought,  we  learn,  in  a  way  not  easily  forgotten,  the  main 
features  of  the  society  and  the  essential  life  of  such  a  people.  I  have 
in  this  book  attempted  to  give  at  least  faithfully  what  I  saw  in  my 
sojourn  in  Norway  and  Sweden,  and  I  hope  so  faithfully  that  the 
reader  can  often  form  his  conclusion  in  regard  to  these  countries 
independently  of  my  conclusion. 

It  is  often  a  difficulty  in  a  traveller's  description,  to  draw  a  line 
between  the  strict  privacies  of  life  to  which  he  is  frankly  intro 
duced,  and  which  are  for  him  alone,  and  those  customs  and  habits 
which  illustrate  the  general  life  of  a  people.  I  trust  I  have  never 
invaded  the  former.  The  names  and  estates  of  individuals  are  usually 
so  disguised  that  they  would  be  recognized  with  difficulty  even  in 
Norway  or  Sweden.  Of  public  men  I  have  given  no  details  which  are 
not  known  to  all  their  countrymen.  The  conversations  related  are 
merely  those  which  chanced  on  characteristic  and  public  topics. 

Norway  has  been  so  thoroughly  travelled  and  described  of  late  years 
by  English  tourists,  that  I  have  bestowed  much  less  space  and  inves 
tigation  on  its  peculiarities  than  on  those  of  Sweden,  which  is  yet 
a  somewhat  fresh  field. 

Possibly,  in  some  respects,  I  have  spoken  too  favorably  of  the 
atter  country,  yet  I  would  rather  err  on  that  side  than  on  the  other. 
No  one  can  behold  a  national  any  more  than  an  individual  character 
accurately  who  does  not  behold  it  with  a  genial  eye.  Certainly  in 
respect  to  its  alleged  popular  vices,  intemperance  and  licentiousness, 
there  must  have  been  in  later  years  a  vast  improvement.  With  the 
present  advance  of  education,  the  development  of  agriculture,  the 
increase  of  trade,  the  building  of  railroads  and  telegraphs,  and  the 
proposed  liberal  measures  with  respect  to  freedom  of  conscience,  what 
may  not  be  accomplished  yet  by  the  modern  Norsemen  ?  The  Ameri 
can  kinsmen  cannot  but  wish  them  God-speed. 

CHARLES  L.  BRACK. 
New  York,  April,  1857. 


CONTENTS. 


I.  —  Norway. 


CHAPTER  I. 

CHRIST  I  ANI  A. 

A  Norse  Holiday— Traits  of  People— The  City— Prince  Oscar's  Villa— The 
Schools — Insane  Asylum — University — Students'  Celebration,  ...  18 

CHAPTER  II. 

A   NORWEGIAN   DINNER. 

The  Conversation— Union— Toasts— The  Dishes— Manners— Change  of  Opi 
nion  towards  America— An  Oration— A  Gentleman's  Estate— The  Icelander,  21 

CHAPTER  III. 

POSTING   OVER  THE   DOVRE   FJELD. 

Accoutrements— Railroad— Mjosen  Lake— Village  Hotel— First  Trial  of  Car 
rioles—Scenery—Solitude—Post  Stations— Fast  Driving— A  Head  Sheriff— 
The  Crops — A  Mountain  Pass, 82 

CHAPTER  IV. 

VISIT  TO   A   BONDER. 

Tofte — The  Bonders — Our  Host — The  House — Furniture — The  Stables — Cattle 
—Intelligence  of  Peasants — No  Feudalism, 47 

CHAPTER  V. 
POSTING. 

Jerkin — Description  of  House — Habits  of  People — Flowers — "  Wait-money  " — 
Grand  Scenery— Trondhjem— Cathedral— Visits— The  Schools,  ...  56 

CHAPTER  VI. 

TOWARD   THE   MIDNIGHT   SUN. 

Coast  Scenery — Torghattan — The  Seven  Sisters — Horseman's  Isle — The  Legend 
— Temperature — Fondal  Glaciers — Malstrom — Loffodens — Cod-fishery — The 
Lapps — Religious  Movement — Ethnology — A  Legend,  .  .  .  .64 


vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

FINMARK     AND     ALTB5. 

The  Steamer — Lady  Travellers — Habits — Perpetual  Day — Geologic  Appear 
ances — Tromsoe — Acquaintances — New  Religious  Movement — Baptists — 
Clergymen's  Salaries — Russians — Arctic  Villas — Lyngen  Fjord — Glaciers — 
Alteii  Copper  Works — Catholic  Mission — Temperature  and  Vegetation,  .  80 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

HAMMERFEST. 

The  Midnight  Sun— The  Sensation— A  Sketch— Trade— Reindeer— A  Monu 
ment — Mountain-Finns, 97 

CHAPTER  IX. 

AN   ARCTIC   DINNER   AND   EXCURSION. 

A  Pleasant  Company — Dinner — Toasts — Chat — Walk  to  Lapp  Encampment — 
Reindeer — A  Conversation — The  Lapp's  Theology — Lestadius — Return — 
Supper— Coast  Voyage— Molde— A  Precipice, 106 

CHAPTER  X. 

HE     NORTHMEN. 

Their  Expeditions— Causes— Battle  of  Harald  Haarfager— Northmen  in 
France — Fern-traces — Influence  on  England — America — History,  .  .  124 

CHAPTER  XI. 

BERGEN. 

Institutions — Leprous  Hospitals — Temperature — Appearance  of  People,         .    184 
CHAPTER  XII. 

POSTING   TO   CHRISTIANIA. 

Lake  Journeys — Dalseidet — Grand  Aspects — Rock  Studies — Evanger — Fosse- 
wangen — Sunday — Church  Service — Costumes — Quaint  Church — American 
ized  Norwegians — Hospitality,  ...;;<;..  189 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

EXCURSION   TO   VORING   FOSS. 

A  Boat  Journey— Vik—Soebo— Long  Day's  Work— Mountain  Climb— The 
Fall— Grandeur  of  View— Return, 150 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

FILE   FJELD. 

Pleasures  of  Posting — "  Going  to  America" — A  Chasm — Rainy  Day — Borgund 
Church— Snow-plough— A  Parsonage— Talk— Superstitions— Wild  Riders,  .  159 

CHAPTER  XV. 

A     COUNTRY     PASTOR. 

The  House— His  Wife— Conversation— Morals  of  Peasants— State  Church- 
Honesty  of  People— Visit  to  a  Bonder's— Wages, 1T1 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

RETURN   JOURNEY   TO   OHRISTIANIA. 

A  Country  Judge — Compromise  Courts — Responsibility  of  Judges — A  Parson 
age—The  Deserted  Village— Ride  with  an  American  Norwegian— Christiania 
— The  Constitution — Norwegian  Schools, 181 


II.  — Sweden. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

GOTTENBURG. 

Bishop  Thomander— Charitable  Institutions— History  of  the  City  Trade- 
Statistics— The  Citizens,    ."."~.      r* 201 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

COTTON     SPINNERS. 

Home  Manufacturing — Night  at  a  Patron's — Manners — Table  Conversation — 


Hand-weavers — Their  Condition, 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
HOME     MANUFACTURES. 

An  English  Foreman — Factories — Peasant  Manufacturers — Their  Wealth — The 
Parsonage  and  Squire — Conversation — New  Medical  Cure — Mingling  of 
Habits— Statistics  of  Elfsborg,  .  .  . "  '".  ."  .  .  .  .217 

CHAPTER  XX. 

GOTHA  CANAL  AND  STOCKHOLM. 

The  Boats — "Black  Hole" — Scenery — Stockholm — Acquaintances — Museums 
—A  Finlander— Russian  War, 223 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

SUNDAY     IN     STOCKHOLM. 

Church  Forms — Restoration — Secret  Confession — Religious  Societies — Statistics 
of  Morals — Vice — Explanation — Form  of  Prayer  for  the  Betrayed,  .  .  287 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

UPS A  LA  —  DALECARLIA. 

Sigtuna — Upsala — University — Schools — "  No  Lawyers  " — Old  Upsala — An 
cient  Assemblies — A  Scene  from  the  Sagas — The  Conversion  of  the  People — 
Posting— Dannemora  Mines — Parsonage — Furniture  of  Peasants'  Houses — 
A  Discussion — Ironworks — Noble  Manufacturers — Orsa — Dalecarh'a-Post- 
man's  Theology— Lake  Siljan— Conversation— "Bundling,"  .  .  246 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

DALECAHLIA. 

Member  of  House  of  Bonders— Political  Talk— Great  Church— Talk  with  Pea 
sants — Superstitions — Law  against  Baptists — Visit  to  a  Peasant — "  Drop 
ping  Bread  "—Farewell,  2T1 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

DALECARLIA. 

Ratwik— A  Painting— Saga— An  Old  Church— Familiarity  with  Pastors— Cler 
gymen  in  Parliament — Botany — Leksand — A  Vast  Congregation — The  Ser 
vice — Sunday  Evening — Dance  and  Feast — Fahlun — Copper  Mines — Sala 
Silver  Mine, 282 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

VINGAKER. 

A  Country  Gentleman — Pictures — Library — Conversation — Similarities  of 
Language— Patron's  Right— Politics— Country  Life— Night  Watchman,  .  804 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE     SWEDISH     MANORS. 

A  Country  Squire— A  Fairy's  Tree— Rank— Castle— Private  Galleries— Art  of 
Dining— Customs— Lifelessness  of  Church— An  Old  Soldier— His  Estate,  .  814 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE     COUNTRY     GENTRY. 

Swedish  House-keeping — A  Visit — Bonders — Conversation— An  Industrial 
School— Libraries  for  People— Distinctions  of  Rank— Marriage  Costumes,  .  826 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A   MODEL  FARM. 

Orebro— Model  Farm— Crops— Machines— Cattle— Success— Religious  Efforts— 
"  The  Readers  "—Remonstrances— The  Indication, 886 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

AN   OLD  CASTLE. 

Society — The  Saloons — Anecdotes — Superstitions — Dinner — Small  Customs — 
Mode  of  Life, 845 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

NORRKOPING. 

A  Rencontre— Ride  with  a  Young  Nobleman— Norrkoping— Value  of  Manu 
factures—Statistics,  864 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

-  \\    KDI9  II      SC  M  00  !..->. 

Progress— Mr.  Siljestrom— School  -  houses— Normal  Schools— Gymnastics- 
Scientific  Schools— Schools  of  Design, 859 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

GOTTLAND. 

Wisby— Ruins— History— Code  of  Laws— Suicide  Cliff— Consul  Enquist— 
Scotch  Farmers— Schools— Geologic  Movements— Secular  Elevation  of 
Coast, 866 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

KALMAR     AND     8MALAND. 

Union  of  1397— Society— A  Visit— A  Law  Case— A  ZfaZ/condemned— Argu 
ment — Freedom  of  Conscience — Visits  to  Bonders — Temperance  Reformer — 
Liquor  Law, 874 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

A     COUNTRY     HOME. 

Swedish  Ladies— The  "French  of  the  North  "—Swedes  and  Norwegians- 
Witchcraft— Tomte— Puke— Necken— A  Story— Modes  of  Life— Condition  of 
Peasants— Visit  to  an  Alderman— Commercial  Storehouse— Teaching  Reli 
gion,  885 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE   FLEET. 

Ride  to  Carlscrona — Swedish  Fleet — Ministry  of  Marine — Mercantile  Marine — 
Seaman's  House— Bleking— Scania— A  Parish  Secretary— Lasare  .  .  899 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

CASTLE  L . 

The  Rooms— Picture  Gallery— Furniture— Relics— Cultivation— The  Host- 
Modes  of  Life— Music— Talk— A  Legend  of  1490— The  Trolls,  ...  408 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

TABLE-TALK. 

Conversation  on  Lallerstedt— Schinkel's  Papers— Discussion— Anecdotes  of 
Bernadotte— Of  Gustavus  IV.— Account  of  Revolution— Cronstedt— His 
Treachery — Impressions — Benefits  of  Wealth — The  Watchman,  .  .  .  418 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

SOUTH   SWEDEN. 

Forbud— A  Modern  Estate— Education  of  Peasants— Books  for  the  People— 
Malmo— Lund— Cathedral— Legend— University— The  "  Nations,"— Sweden- 
borg— Ragged  School— Baron  G , 429 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

CONSTITUTION   OF   SWEDISH   CHURCH. 

Its  Relation  to  State— Church  Committees— House  of  Clergy— Destiny  of 
Church, 444 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XL. 

SWEDISH   PARLIAMENT. 

Four  Houses— Scale  of  Property— Statistics— Business  before  Parliament- 
Royal  Powers— General  Laws— Regency— Inequalities— Bigotry— Advan 
tages,  453 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

RACES     IN     SWEDEN. 

Tschudes— Kelts— Germanic  Tribes— Goths— Suiones— Norse  Tongue— Appear 
ance  of  Norsemen — The  Runes, 465 


1 1 1. — D  e  n  mar  k. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

COPENHAGEN. 

Education  of  People — Libraries — Peeling  on  Sound-Dues  Question — Courts  of 
Compromise — Maiden  Assurance  Companies — Thonvaldsen — His  Works — 
Parentage, 477 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

SCANDINAVIAN  MYTHOLOGY. 

Its  Oriental  Character— Dualism— Myths— Valhalla— The  Twilight  of  the 
Gods — Coming  of  the  Judge — Final  Doom — A  Forerunner,  ....  489 

APPENDIX, 407 


I. 


Norway 


THE    NORSE-FOLK 


CHAPTER     I. 

CHRISTIANIA. 

June  twenty-first  ! — the  long  summer-day,  celebrated  by 
the  old  Norse-people  and  the  Vikings,  equally  with  the 
shortest  day,  Yule,  or  Christmas  :  it  is  a  holiday  here. 
Arbors  of  branches  are  in  the  gardens,  flowers  on  the 
tables,  and  last  night  bonfires  were  burning.  To-day,  busi 
ness  is  abandoned ;  my  carriole,  which  was  preparing  for 
the  journey  over  the  mountains,  must  wait  another  day ; 
people  are  taking  excursions,  some  on  the  water  in  boats, 
and  some  in  carriages  to  the  country.  It  is  a  beautiful 
sight,  this  cool  fresh  day,  to  watch  the  parties  on  the 
Fiord,  from  the  bastions  of  the  old  fort  (Aggershuus). 
There  is  an  endless  sparkle  of  the  waters,  and  the  gaily- 
dressed  parties  cross  and  re-cross  to  the  little  islets  which 
break  in  picturesquely  on  the  distant  reach  of  the  bay. 
You  look  down,  some  seven  miles,  through  what  seems  a 

13 


14  THENOKSE-FOLK. 

chain  of  lakes,  but  which  is  the  broken  outline  of  the 
Fiord,  until  the  eye  turns  away  from  the  bright  glimmer  to 
the  shaded  valleys  and  wooded  hills  that  make  the  horizon 
on  every  side. 

The  market-place  is  full  of  women,  with  bright  kerchiefs 
on  their  heads,  selling  flowers  and  vegetables,  and  of  little 
four-wheeled  carts,  with  cloths  and  stuffs  for  sale.  Every 
one  is  neatly  dressed,  and  I  have  met  no  one  intoxicated. 

The  city  is  a  neat,  cheerful-looking  place,  with  stuccoed 
houses,  two  stories  high,  placed  directly  on  the  street,  as  in 
the  German  and  French  villages. 

In  the  quarter  near  the  Palace,  there  are  some  large, 
handsome  buildings,  inhabited  by  the  wealthiest  people,  in 
flats,  like  the  Berlin  and  Paris  houses.  The  streets  are 
lighted  with  gas.  There  is  nothing  in  the  city  to  especially 
distinguish  it  from  other  European  cities,  except  the  appear 
ance  of  the  peasants.  These  are  marked-looking  men  and 
women  —  usually  blonde,  with  ruddy  complexion,  regular 
Norman  features,  light  hair,  and  faces  expressing  a  certain 
reserved  and  sober  strength  of  feeling.  They  have,  most  of 
them,  powerful  frames.  I  notice  some  of  darker  com 
plexion,  with  an  obliquity  of  eyelids,  almost  Mongolian — 
the  same  feature  which  struck  me  in  the  Norwegian  waiters 
on  our  boat  from  Copenhagen.  Probably  they  have  a  slight 
mixture  of  Finnish  blood. 

The  town  is  evidently  a  great  resort  for  travellers.  All 
the  principal  shops  are  for  strangers — filled  with  prints,  or 
characteristic  Norwegian  objects  ;  others  are  crowded  with 
accoutrements  for  carriole-travelling,  and  salmon-fishing. 


PRINCE   O  SCAB'S   HALL.  15 

English  is  spoken  everywhere,  and  Englishmen  throng  in 
every  hotel.  Our  landlord  (in  the  Hotel  du  Nord)  says  he 
sent  off  fifteen  English  sportsmen  yesterday  up  the  country, 
each  in  his  carriole. 

The  outskirts  of  the  city  are  beautiful — a  broken,  hilly, 
green  country,  with  wooded  roads  running  near  the  Fiord, 
and  catching  the  most  picturesque  glimpses,  as  of  mountain- 
lakes.  The  country-seats  are  very  neat  and  comfortable  in 
aspect,  and  the  soil  does  not  seem  inferior.  I  see  fields  of 
all  our  Northern  productions  in  America,  except  of  the 
Indian  corn. 

One  of  the  sights  without  the  city,  which  gives  a  pleasant 
ride,  is  the  villa  of  Prince  Oscar,  the  crown  prince  ;  a 
pretty  little  country-seat  on  a  rocky-point,  looking  out  over 
the  Fiord.  It  seemed  to  me  the  most  tasteful  and  really 
enjoyable  royal  residence  to  be  seen  in  Europe.  A  gem 
of  a  house.  If  any  of  our  wealthy  gentlemen  would  like 
a  model  for  a  rich  little  villa,  they  should  see  this.  The 
furniture  is  all  of  Norwegian  materials — the  tables  and 
chairs  of  exquisite  polished  Norwegian  maple,  giving  a 
most  original  and  pretty  effect.  The  floors  are  parquette 
of  inlaid  polished  woods  of  the  country.  The  pictures 
illustrate  the  Norwegian  life  and  scenery. 

Tiedemann  has  there  his  series,  representing  the  "Life 
of  a  Norwegian  Peasant."  Such  narrative-paintings  are 
usually  too  palpable  to  be  interesting  artistically.  But 
this  is  so  simply  and  skillfully  managed  that  it  is  very 
effective.  You  are  interested  in  the  characteristic  scenes 
of  Norwegian  peasant-life,  but  you  are  led  on  to  the  greater 


U  THENOKSE 

chain  of  lakes,  but  which  is  the  broken  outline  of  the 
Fiord,  until  the  eye  turns  away  from  the  bright  glimmer  to 
the  shaded  valleys  and  wooded  hills  that  make  the  horizon 
on  every  side. 

The  market-place  is  full  of  women,  with  bright  kerchiefs 
on  their  heads,  selling  flowers  and  vegetables,  and  of  little 
four-wheeled  carts,  with  cloths  and  stuffs  for  sale.  Every 
one  is  neatly  dressed,  and  I  have  met  no  one  intoxicated. 

The  city  is  a  neat,  cheerful-looking  place,  with  stuccoed 
houses,  two  stories  high,  placed  directly  on  the  street,  as  in 
the  German  and  French  villages. 

In  the  quarter  near  the  Palace,  there  are  some  large, 
handsome  buildings,  inhabited  by  the  wealthiest  people,  in 
flats,  like  the  Berlin  and  Paris  houses.  The  streets  are 
lighted  with  gas.  There  is  nothing  in  the  city  to  especially 
distinguish  it  from  other  European  cities,  except  the  appear 
ance  of  the  peasants.  These  are  marked-looking  men  and 
women  —  usually  blonde,  with  ruddy  complexion,  regular 
Norman  features,  light  hair,  and  faces  expressing  a  certain 
reserved  and  sober  strength  of  feeling.  They  have,  most  of 
them,  powerful  frames.  I  notice  some  of  darker  com 
plexion,  with  an  obliquity  of  eyelids,  almost  Mongolian— 
the  same  feature  which  struck  me  in  the  Norwegian  waiters 
on  our  boat  from  Copenhagen.  Probably  they  have  a  slight 
mixture  of  Finnish  blood. 

The  town  is  evidently  a  great  resort  for  travellers.  All 
the  principal  shops  are  for  strangers — filled  with  prints,  or 
characteristic  Norwegian  objects  ;  others  are  crowded  with 
accoutrements  for  carriole-travelling,  and  salmon-fishing. 


PRINCE   OSCAR'S   HALL.  15 

English  is  spoken  everywhere,  and  Englishmen  throng  in 
every  hotel.  Our  landlord  (in  the  Hotel  du  Nord)  says  he 
sent  off  fifteen  English  sportsmen  yesterday  up  the  country, 
each  in  his  carriole. 

The  outskirts  of  the  city  are  beautiful — a  broken,  hilly, 
green  country,  with  wooded  roads  running  near  the  Fiord, 
and  catching  the  most  picturesque  glimpses,  as  of  mountain- 
lakes.  The  country-seats  are  very  neat  and  comfortable  in 
aspect,  and  the  soil  does  not  seem  inferior.  I  see  fields  of 
all  our  Northern  productions  in  America,  except  of  the 
Indian  corn. 

One  of  the  sights  without  the  city,  which  gives  a  pleasant 
ride,  is  the  villa  of  Prince  Oscar,  the  crown  prince  ;  a 
pretty  little  country-seat  on  a  rocky-point,  looking  out  over 
the  Fiord.  It  seemed  to  me  the  most  tasteful  and  really 
enjoyable  royal  residence  to  be  seen  in  Europe.  A  gem 
of  a  house.  If  any  of  our  wealthy  gentlemen  would  like 
a  model  for  a  rich  little  villa,  they  should  see  this.  The 
furniture  is  all  of  Norwegian  materials — the  tables  and 
chairs  of  exquisite  polished  Norwegian  maple,  giving  a 
most  original  and  pretty  effect.  The  floors  are  parquette 
of  inlaid  polished  woods  of  the  country.  The  pictures 
illustrate  the  Norwegian  life  and  scenery. 

Tiedemann  has  there  his  series,  representing  the  "Life 
of  a  Norwegian  Peasant."  Such  narrative-paintings  are 
usually  too  palpable  to  be  interesting  artistically.  But 
this  is  so  simply  and  skillfully  managed  that  it  is  very 
effective.  You  are  interested  in  the  characteristic  scenes 
of  Norwegian  peasant-life,  bnt  you  are  led  on  to  the  greater 


16  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

mysteries  of  human  life  ; — the  memories  of  childhood,  seen 
through  tears,  the  sunny  glow,  the  ideal  hope  and  passion, 
the  sorrow  and  blank  disappointment,  the  maturity  and  decay. 
I  visited  afterwards  several  studios  and  galleries  in  the 
city.  There  are  some  very  pretty  landscapes  in  these 
collections  ;  and  works  of  a  good  quality  can  be  got  quite 
cheaply. 

INSTITUTIONS. 

The  schools  in  Christiania  seem  in  an  advanced  condition. 
There  are  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  stationary  schools 
in  this  diocese,  beside  high  schools,  a  school  of  drawing 
for  workmen,  and  a  normal  school  for  teachers.  I  have 
visited  one  Institution  for  vagrant  and  homeless  girls,  which 
seems  excellently  managed — the  Eugenia  Stiff.  An  old 
spacious  house  is  occupied  by  the  school,  with  the  dormi 
tories,  and  various  work-rooms. 

The  girls  work  at  spinning,  sewing,  embroidery,  and 
straw-weaving  within  doors,  and  have  a  large  garden  in 
which  to  labor  in  the  mild  months.  When  they  have 
been  here  a  certain  time,  they  are  commonly  sent  away 
to  families  as  servants. 

Among  other  institutions,  I  drove  out  to  see  the  new 
Insane  Asylum.  It  is  a  large  building,  and  arranged  on 
the  best  modern  principles.  As  is  usual,  there  are  apart 
ments  for  all  degrees  of  insanity,  and  for  different  conditions 
of  wealth  among  the  patients.  There  is  no  wall  about 
the  asylum,  and  the  view,  at  this  season,  is  exquisite 
enough  in  itself  to  be  a  cure  for  the  diseased  mind.  We 


INSANE    ASYLUM.  17 

found  in  one  sitting-room  a  very  well  dressed  party  of 
gentlemen,  with  billiard-table,  books,  piano,  and  various 
luxuries.  They  received  us  politely,  and  at  our  request, 
one  played  very  prettily  a  modern  German  waltz. 

Nothing  betrayed  them  as  a  company  of  lunatics.  In 
another  ward,  the  superintendent  pointed  us  out  a  mild  old 
man,  bent  with  some  previous  suffering,  who,  he  said,  had 
been  kept  in  one  of  the  villages  for  fifteen  years  in  chains  ! 
— so  little  understanding  was  there  among  the  people  of  the 
proper  treatment  of  this  disease.  I  was  surprised  to  see 
wooden  bedsteads  used  in  so  complete  an  establishment.  The 
asylum  has  no  idiots  within  it,  and  the  superintendent  tells 
me  that  there  is  no  institution  in  Norway  for  this  most  un 
fortunate  class — though  he  estimated  their  number  at  three 
thousand  in  the  whole  country  1  It  was  a  very  significant 
fact,  and  characteristic  of  Norway,  that  among  this  great 
company  of  insane,  notP  love,  or  licentiousness,  or  intempe 
rance,  or  disappointment,  was  the  preponderant  cause,  but 
solitude — its  gloom  and  moroseness,  and  above  all,  its  unna 
tural  self-consuming  lusts. 

I  did  not  understand  this  effect  of  the  mountain  life 
clearly  at  the  time — but  now,  after  being  in  those  vast, 
melancholy  solitudes,  and  seeing  how  utterly  lonely,  on  the 
great  mountain-sides  and  by  the  rock-bounded  Fiords  of  the 
North,  thousands  must  live  year  after  year  in  Norway,  I 
can  well  believe  that  the  soul  may  become  diseased  or  poi 
soned  for  want  of  its  atmosphere — the_§ociety  of  other  beings. 

I  hear  here,  as  in  all  the  hospitals,  of  a  new  cure  of  a 
fearful  disease,  which,  while  it  scourges  the  guilty,  often  does 


18 


not  spare  the  innocent.  It  attracts  great  attention,  and  is 
practised  by  the  University  physician,  Dr.  BOECK,  though 
discovered  first  in  France.  If  the  results  of  the  last  five 
years  be  continued  in  this  gentleman's  practice,  the  cure 
will  form  an  era  with  the  original  discovery  which  checked 
the  small-pox.  It  seems  a  treatment  somewhat  on  the  same 
principle  ;  and  if  I  understand  the  subject,  it  is  the  most 
thorough  application  yet  made  of  homoeopathic  principles, 
though  by  olopathic  physicians. 

Medical  readers  will  know  what  I  mean,  when  I  give 
the  title  of  the  pamphlet,  which  has  already  reached  the 
Smithsonian  Institute,  on  the  subject,  "  Die  Syphilization 
der  Kinder."* 

As  this  is  the  summer  vacation,  I  have  been  able  to  see 
but  little  of  either  the  professors  or  students  of  the  Univer 
sity.  The  buildings  are  tasteful  and^well  situated,  and  the 
collections,  both  of  natural  history  and  antiquities,  seemed 
valuable.  It  has  thirty-one  professors  :  sixty  thousand  dol 
lars  per  annum  is  the  amount  devoted  to  it  by  the  state. 

At  the  present  time,  the  students  are  away  on  an  invited 
visit,  with  the  Danish  students  from  Copenhagen,  to  the 
Universities  of  Lund  and  Upsala,  in  Sweden.  The  papers 
are  filled  with  accounts  of  their  speeches,  the  reception  by 
the  king  in  his  palace,  and  the  various  festivities.  Though 
principally  a  youthful  frolic,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  excur 
sion  is  encouraged  by  thousands,  who  are  seriously  hoping 

*  This  pamphlet  will  also  be  found  in  the  Mercantile  Library,  New 
York. 


THE   STUDENTS.  19 

such  mutual  associations  among  the  young  men  of  the  three 
countries,  may  tend  to  the  great  result  so  long  prayed  for — 
a  SCANDINAVIAN  UNION. 

June  1856.  A  procession  of  the  Fathers  of  the  city  went 
down  to-day  to  the  dock,  to  meet  the  returning  students.  I 
took  the  arm  of  a  friend,  and  we  made  our  way  to  the  same 
point. 

We  found  already  a  crowd  of  thousands  assembled.  Not 
a  man  was  intoxicated.  There  were  no  soldiers  or  police 
men  to  preserve  order,  and  my  friend  assured  me  that  in 
such  crowds,  picking  pockets  was  almost  unknown.  Every 
one  was  decently  dressed,  and  the  faces  wore  a  superior, 
intelligent  expression.  The  crowd  lined  the  pier,  and  at 
length  as  the  guns  announced  that  the  Ganger  Rolf  was 
coming  up  the  Fiord,  they  swarmed  over  the  schooners  and 
small  craft  lying  near,  while  little  boats  moved  about  to  catch 
a  good  view  of  the  returning  steamer. 

One  boy  excited  great  admiration  on  my  part  by  his  skill 
ful  motions  with  the  "  Water  Shoes."  These  are  long 
wooden  shoes,  appearing  precisely  like  snow  shoes,  except 
that  they  are  somewhat  longer,  and  are  fastened  together  by 
an  iron  bar,  about  a  foot  apart.  The  boy's  feet  were  kept 
steady  on  them  by  little  iron  clamps,  under  which  he  put  his 
toes.  His  oar  was  a  light  paddle,  with  a  blade  at  each  end, 
so  that  he  could  whirl  and  strike  the  water,  backing,  turning, 
or  swinging  with  the  most  beautiful  ease.  With  this  inge 
nious  apparatus,  he  glided  over  the  water  faster  than  the 
fastest  row-boats  near  him. 


20  THE    NOBSE-FOLK. 

My  friend,  with  whom  I  had  been  speaking  of  the  remark 
able  sobriety  of  the  crowd,  said  that  the  new  Sunday  law 
had  made  a  great  difference.  Now,  no  one  is  allowed  to  sell 
spirits  from  five  o'clock  Saturday  evening  till  nine  o'clock 
Monday  morning.  The  first  offense  was  a  fine  of  ten 
dollars  ;  second,  twenty,  and  so  on,  with  a  final  chance  of 
imprisonment.  The  informant  received  half.  Our  own  land 
lord,  he  said,  of  the  Hotel  du  Nord,  had  been  fined  twice, 
merely  for  sending  toddy  up  to  gentlemen's  rooms  on  Sun 
day.  The  beer  of  the  country — a  beverage  much  like  Lager 
Bier — is  wisely  excepted. 

At  length  our  steamer  drew  up  to  the  wharf,  gay  with  flags, 
and  crowded  with  the  hundreds  of  students.  Cheers  echoed 
on  both  sides,  and  handkerchiefs  waved.  The  bands  on 
shore  struck  up  spirited  music,  and  the  students  in  procession, 
welcomed  by  the  guilds  and  the  societies  of  the  city,  marched 
animatedly  into  the  town.  It  was  a  very  lively  scene. 

As  we  walked  home,  passing  a  few  soldiers,  my  companion 
said  that  a  new  Law  would  soon  be  in  operation,  which 
would  make  every  man  a  soldier,  and  he  should  have  to  pay 
a  hundred  species  (dollars)  to  get  rid  of  it  1  It  appears 
this  is  a  militia  law,  much  like  our  own,  requiring  service 
from  every  man,  but  accepting  a  substitute — though  here 
the  service  would  often  be  much  heavier  ;  as,  for  instance, 
standing  guard  in  the  city,  and  drilling  every  day — while 
the  fines  are  heavier. 

The  law  is  probably  intended  to  throw  more  of  the  bur 
dens  of  State,  especially  of  the  army,  on  Norway,  which  has 
not  yet  borne  a  proportional  part  to  Sweden. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A     NORWEGIAN     DINNER. 

A  GENIAL  friend  gave  us,  with  some  other  strangers,  a 
most  agreeable  dinner-party  to-day.  Some  eighteen  or 
twenty  gentlemen  and  ladies  were  present,  and  the  table 
was  truly  splendid.  The  language  spoken  was  mostly 
English,  (I  have  but  one  acquaintance  in  Christiania  who 
does  not  speak  English.)  The  talk  was  very  lively.  Several 
students  were  present,  who  had  just  returned  from  the  great 
Excursion,  one  or  two  Norwegian  gentlemen  of  distinction, 
a  rough,  blunt  English  naturalist,  a  distinguished  Swedish 
Professor,  an  English  salmon-fisher,  and  several  ladies. 

"You  should  have  seen  our  festiveness  in  Stockholm," 
said  an  enthusiastic  young  student  near  me.  "We  had 
the  splendid  dining-hall  of  the  Palace,  and  the  king  hos- 
pitiated  us.  Nearly  a  thousand  sat  down  at  once.  But 
those  stupids — those  Swedes — they  seem  as  they  had  never 
seen  a  lady  !  Ah,  the  ladies  !  Mr.  B., — they  really  covered 
us  with  flower  !  We  had  bouquets  each  moment  1"  I 
asked  whether  these  excursions  had  been  tried  before. 
He  replied  that  they  had  ;  and  that  they  had  already  all 
visited  Copenhagen.  "Do  people  really  have  much  hope 

21 


22  THEISTORSE-FOLK. 

for  a  Union  ?"  I  asked.  "  No,"  said  he,  "  to  tell  you  the 
truth,  •  I  do  not  think  they  have.  It  is  a  good  thing  to 
write  poems  about,  and  make  oratories,  but  for  a  fad, 
I  must  confess,"  and  he  shrugged  his  shoulders,  "  we  have 
no  very  high  respects  for  either  Sweden  or  Denmark." 

"  He  has  reason  ;"  said  an  old  gentleman  near  me — a 
politician.  "We  are  a  democratic  country,  and  we  could 
never  unite  with  any  other  country,  except  on  the  freest 
Constitution.  Besides,  there  would  be  practical  hindrances 
—where  the  capital  to  put,  and  how'  raise  the  common 
revenues  ?  The  benefits  would  by  no  means  be  so  great 
to  us  as  to  Denmark  : — she  needs  Union  to  save  her.  She 
must  in  years  fall  to  pieces — losing  Holstein,  and  having 
the  Sound-dues  capitalized,  and  becoming  into  quarrels 
through  the  change  of  succession." 

"But  you  speak  of  Union — you  have  one  now  with  a 
monarchy." 

"Yes,  that  is  true — but  it  is  really  only  a  union  in  name. 
We  have  our  own  Storthing,  and  our  laws,  and  our  soldiery 
— and  not  a  King  of  Sweden  ever  will  dare  to  lay  fingers 
on  them.  We  were  obliged  to  unite  under  Carl  Johan, 
when  all  Europe  was  against  us  ;  but  even  he  never  dared 
to  attack  long  our  liberties — but  listen — there  is  a  toast 
for  you  I" 

Our  host,  though  we  were  only  on  the  second  course, 
rose  for  a  toast,  and  in  a  neat  little  English  speech,  pro 
posed  the  health  of  the  "  American  guest,"  and  deprecated 
the  unnatural  and  horrible  contest  into  which  the  two 
countries  of  England  and  America  seemed  about  to  enter. 


THE   COURSES.  23 

The  company  drank,  and  bowed  to  me,  and  I  replied. 
After  this,  a*  succession  of  toasts  was  kept  up  in  a  much 
more  formal  manner,  than  would  be  customary  with  us, 
or  on  the  Continent.  The  English  and  Norwegian  habits 
in  this  seems  to  express  a  more  dignified  hospitality  than 
ours. 

The  dishes  were  peculiar.  The  second  course  after  soup 
was  ham  cut  up,  and  peas,  passed  about,  and  tongue  with 
kraut ;  the  third,  lobsters  boiled  ;  the  fourth  asparagus  ; 
the  fifth,  salmon  ;  sixth,  chickens  and  mutton  cut  up  and 
handed  to  each  by  the  servants ;  then  custards,  fruit  and 
cakes,  with  claret,  hock,  champagne,  sherry,  port,  etc.,  etc. 

In  the  drinking  of  healths,  my  neighbor  whispered  that 
he  never  filled  his  glass,  and  so  escaped  too  much  wine. 
The  old  custom  was  for  each  to  empty  his  glass,  which 
is  fast  going  into  disuse.  The  Norwegian  cookery  seems 
excellent,  with  much  use  of  cream  in  the  dishes.  - 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  the  subject  of  America 
came  up,  and  our  Swedish  Professor  said  a  very  good  thing. 

They  were  speaking  of  the  State-Church — and  of  the 
experiment  of  separation  in  our  country.  "  The  truth  is," 
said  one  gentleman,  "  nothing  can  be  learnt  from  the 
American  Free  Church  System — America  is  too  young. 
What  is  her  whole  age  against  two  thousand  years  ?  it 
is  a  mere  diy  !"  "  But,"  said  the  Swede  with  a  fine  ex 
pression,  "  how  do  we  know  that  these  two  thousand  years 
are  not  a  mere  day,  compared  with  the  whole  coming 
human  history  1  America  has  little  to  learn  from  the 
past." 


24:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

After  a  little,  the  talk  turned  to  the  subject  of  Slavery, 
and  the  recent  disgraceful  and  cowardly  assault  by  Brooks 
upon  Senator  Sumner.  The  words  spoken  were  such  a? 
would  be  good  for  our  people  to  hear — scathing,  indignant 
words  at  such  ruffianly  brutality.  Much  further  interest 
ing  conversation  was  kept  up  on  American  affairs,  show 
ing  a  thorough  understanding  of  our  difficulties  and  strug 
gles. 

At  length  we  arose  and  took  our  ladies  to  the  drawing- 
room,  each  bowing  to  his  companion,  and  then  shaking 

hands  with  the  host,  with  the  words  "  Tak  for  mad!" 

(thanks  for  the  meal !)  The  gentlemen  then  retreated  to 
the  library  to  smoke,  while  coffee  was  brought. 

It  is  very  evident,  as  I  converse  with  people  here,  and  in 
other  parts  of  Northern  Europe,  that  a  great  change  has 
come  over  the  popular  feeling  towards  America,  since  I  was 
last  on  the  Continent,  five  years  ago.  Then  America  was 
the  ideal  everywhere  to  free-thinking  and  aspiring  men.  The 
oppressed  looked  hopefully  to  it  ;  the  philosopher  found  the 
confirmation  of  his  theories  of  human  liberty  there  ;  the 
hard-working,  the  politically  degraded,  the  idealists,  the 
struggling  masses,  felt  that  the  Western  Republic  was  espe 
cially  for  them,  and  even  if  they  could  never  share  its  privi 
leges,  they  were  happy  that  humanity  had  at  length  looked 
on  such  a  glorious  effort.  The  reports  of  the  common  free 
dom,  of  the  education  of  the  masses,  of  the  high  morality 
prevailing,  came  over  even  exaggerated,  and  silenced  the 
enemies  of  popular  rights,  and  converted  many  doubtful. 
One  felt  the  effect  of  all  this,  as  a  traveller.  You  were  not 


EUROPEAN    OPINION.  25 

alone  ;  yoa  were  the  representative  of  the  best  thoughts  and 
aspirations  of  mankind.  The  warm  hand  grasping  yours, 
welcomed  not  you,  but  a  nation  of  freemen.  The  rich  did 
not  condemn,  because  property  and  person  had  been  bet 
ter  shielded  under  the  Republic,  than  under  European 
monarchies.  The  poor,  the  laborers,  were  especially  your 
friends,  for  was  not  your  land  the  very  land  which  ele 
vated  labor  ? 

All  this  is  quite  different  now.  You  are  treated  politely 
as  a  stranger  ;  or  you  are  welcomed  more  or  less  for  what 
you  personally  are,  but  for  your  country,  among  the  populace 
you  get  no  welcome.  The  glory  has  departed. 

Within  five  years,  various  circumstances  have  opened  the 
eyes  of  Europe  to  our  real  situation,  and,  as  often  happens, 
the  people  see  nothing  but  our  sins.  We  are  simply  now  a 
tricky,  jobbing,  half-barbaric  people,  where  the  worst  politi 
cal  corruption  of  the  Old  World  exists  without  its  refine 
ment  ;  and  where  brutality,  rowdyism,  and  unlimited  despot 
ism  have  in  certain  quarters  free  play.  Our  politicians  and 
diplomats  are  despised  ;  our  Constitution  is  sneered  at,  as 
inflicting  upon  us  the  most  disgraceful  legislators  ;  and  the 
laboring  class  and  the  democrats  know  that  within  our  limits, 
a  more  abominable  tyranny  over  labor  and  free  speech  and 
thought  exists,  than  the  worst  despotisms  of  the  Continent 
ever  exhibited.  There  is  nothing  now  in  our  situation  to 
dazzle  the  world.  They  see  with  clear  eye  our  blackest 
sins  and  our  miserable  political  jobbing. 

To-day  a  leader  appears  of  some  length  in  the  Christiania 
"  Aften  Bladet,"  with  the  following  mild  opening — "  The 

2 


26  THENORSE-FOLK. 

scandal  in  the  North  American  Senate,  which  has  roused 
such  feelings  of  excitement,  it  appears  to  us,  in  its  treatment 
by  the  Senate,  the  press,  and  the  public  meetings,  shows  a 
greater  degree  of  general  brutality,  even  than  the  scene 
itself  between  Brooks  and  Sumner." 

Then  it  gives  us  the  scene  between  Mr.  Wilson  and  Mr. 
Butler,  where  the  latter  says,  "  You  are  a  liar,"  and  follows 
this  by  quoting  at  length  two  atrocious  articles,  disgraceful 
to  South  Sea  Islanders,  from  the  Richmond  Whig  and  the 
Examiner,  approving  of  the  assault.  It  closes  with  a  sar 
castic  remark,  on  the  respect  due  to  American  institu 
tions. 

For  my  own  part,  unpleasant  as  the  change  is  in  the 
public  sympathy  and  respect  for  us,  I  am  glad  of  it.  We 
have  had  the  world's  applause  too  long.  We  need  the 
frown.  Besides,  how  can  men  in  distant  countries  and 
engaged  in  petty  questions  of  state  or  commerce,  judge  on 
those  mighty  struggles,  whose  scum  only  appears  on  the 
surface  of  American  affairs  ! 

Yet  never  does  one  love  his  country  so  as  in  hearing  this 
universal  voice  of  condemnation.  At  home,  you  do  not 
think  much  of  patriotism.  But  when  you  see  from  a  dis 
tance  the  grand  nature  of  the  experiment  made  in  your 
country,  and  when  you  behold  the  dark  storms  that 
threaten,  you  say,  as  you  never  could  say  before,  "  I  be 
long  to  her,  and  with  her  fall,  will  I  fall." 

We  went  out  from  our  dinner-party,  about  8  o'clock,  to 
see  a  meeting  of  the  students  in  the  little  park,  to  celebrate 


UNION.  27 

their  return.  A  considerable  crowd  of  the  young  men  and 
the  professors  were  assembled,  nearly  all  smoking  vigorously. 
Just  outside  the  slight  palings  and  hedge,  a  great  concourse 
of  the  town's  people  had  gathered,  watching  the  proceed 
ings.  It  was  characteristic  that  these  never  once  offered  to 
intrude,  though  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  them,  except 
a  few  students'  marshals.  The  first  exercises  were  some 
spirited  chorus-songs  from  the  crowd  of  young  men  ;  then 
one  of  the  professors  followed,  with  an  extemporaneous  ora 
tion.  It  was  delivered  with  a  great  deal  of  fire  and  enthu 
siasm — recounting  the  interesting  points  of  their  visit,  and 
glorifying  the  idea  of  Scandinavian  Union — picturing  the 
possible  future,  when  the  three  nations,  even  more  than  in 
the  old  Kalmar  Union,  would  form  a  united  whole,  and 
become  the  great  barrier  to  Russian  invasion,  and  a  State 
of  influence  in  the  world.  These  sentiments  were  received 
with  great  applause. 

Other  speeches  followed,  to  the  same  effect,  with  more 
songs.  I  met  a  Danish  gentleman  in  the  crowd,  and  we 
spoke  of  the  oration.  He  admitted  that  the  idea  of  union 
was  very  popular,  but  thought,  as  do  all,  that  practical  dif 
ficulties  were  in  the  way — there  were  now  such  great  dissim 
ilarities  in  the  characters  of  the  peoples,  and  in  the  forms  of 
their  government — each  had  so  much  jealousy  and  dislike 
of  the  other — the  Norwegians  were  democratic,  rough,  and 
practical ;  the  Danes  more  reserved,  refined,  and  ideal. 
Still,  he  confessed,  a  'union  was  almost  indispensable  to 
Denmark. 


28  THENORSE-FOLK. 

June  — th. — One  of  my  friends  drove  me  out  to-day,  to 
see  the  beautiful  environs  of  Christiania.  There  is  some 
thing  in  the  aspect  of  the  country  which  reminds  me  of 
scenery  in  Maine  :  the  broken  coast  of  the  Fiord,  with  little 
wooded  islets — the  pine-covered  hills  in  the  distance,  and 
the  warm,  green  valleys  by  the  streams.  It  is  a  warmer  and 
more  genial  scenery  than  I  should  have  expected  in  Norway. 

A  gentleman  whom  my  friend  knew,  overtook  us  on  our 
ride,  mounted  on  a  beautiful  blood-horse. 

They  saluted  formally,  and  at  his  hearty  invitation,  wo 
turned  to  pay  him  a  visit.  We  entered  his  place  through  a 
pleasant  avenue,  and  came  in  on  a  little  square  of  low,  neat 
buildings,  with  a  bell-tower  over  one,  giving  a  pleasant  effect 
of  grouping  about  it  to  the  cluster  of  houses.  We  were 
shown  to  a  comfortable  sitting-room,  and  after  a  short  chat, 
our  host  most  kindly  gave  us  a  glimpse  of  his  house.  There 
were  numbers  of  fine  rooms  opening  into  each  other — the 
bed-rooms  being  usually  on  the  ground  floor.  The  guest- 
chamber  had  its  own  sitting-rooms  adjoining.  There  was 
one  large  dancing-saloon.  Scarcely  any  of  the  rooms  were 
carpeted,  but  the  furniture  was  tasteful  and  comfortable. 
The  kitchen  was  below,  a  good  spacious  room,  as  it  should 
be.  The  only  Norwegian  peculiarity  was  a  great  covering, 
like  a  roof,  reaching  out  over  the  brick-range,  serving  as  a 
funnel  or  ventilator  to  carry  off  smoke  and  smells — not  a 
useless  invention  for  our  American  kitchens. 

The  most  marked  thing  about  the  house  was  the  great 
extent  of  it,  through  building  on  laterally  rather  than  perpen 
dicularly,  as  an  American  would  do. 


A  VISIT.  29 

The  gentleman  took  us  also  out  to  his  grounds,  and  his 
barns  and  farm-houses,  which  were  large  brick  buildings 
with  pointed  gables.  In  a  pretty  arbor  of  beech  he  sat  us 
at  a  table,  and  a  servant  brought  champagne.  At  part 
ing,  a  servant  opened  the  carriage-door,  and  he  himself  stood 
with  head  uncovered,  bowing  repeatedly  to  us.  Norway  is 
certainly  opening  in  Christiania,  most  courteously  and  agree 
ably. 

AN    ICELANDER. 

June  — th. — I  called  to-day  on  a  student,  from  Iceland,  a 
thorough  scholar  in  the  old  Norse  Literature.  After  a  few 
words,  he  said,  with  a  fine  enthusiasm,  speaking  English. 
"  Ah,  sir, — I  love  your  country  and  your  folk.  You  are  the 
true  descendants  of  the  Norsemen.  I  see  more  of  the  quali 
ties  of  our  old  Vikings  in  your  country  than  I  do  anywhere 
in  Scandinavia,  or  England.  Even  your  vices  are  the  vices 
of  the  Vikings — how  like  ! — you  love  so  the  adventure,  and 
the  sea-water  life,  and  to  be  uncontrolled.  The  filibusters, 
as  you  do  call  them,  they  are  modern  vikiuger  !" 

I  agreed,  but  hoped  we  should  imitate  the  descendants  of 
the  Vikings,  and  free  our  villains  and  serfs. 

His  face  had  a  beautiful  spiritual,  enthusiastic  expression, 
and  he  said  sadly,  "  Yes  !  it  is  to  hope  !  God  will  surely  so 
guide  you.  The  Northmen  were,  it  is  true,  sea-pirates,  but 
they  always  planted  free  institutions  wherever  they  settled, 
and  left  things  better  than  they  found.  You  have  a  horri 
ble — I  know  not  if  you  have  the  Icelandic  word — thralldom 
there  ;  but  the  blood  of  the  Northmen  leads  to  freedom. 


30  THENOKSE-FOLK. 

You  arid  the  Norse-folk  are  the  only  ones  in  history, 
where  the  individual  does  so  venture  every  thing-.  Look  at 
your  lirst  settlers  and  at  your  sea-captains  and  discoverers, 
and  now  at  Walker  !  It  is,  sir,  the  old  blood.  Do  you  re 
member  the  description  of  the  Vikings  and  of  Gauka  Thorer, 
in  the  Heimskringia.*  You  do  have  a  translation,  I  believe. 
Yours  are  the  men,  who  have  the  faith  above  all  in  them 
selves." 

I  inquired  about  Iceland  and  its  present  condition.     He 

*  THE   SEA-KING. 

The  hero  who  knows  well  to  ride 
The  sea-horse  o'er  the  foaming  tide, — 
He  who  in  boyhood  wild  rode  o'er 
The  seaman's  horse  to  Scania's  shore, 
And  showed  the  Danes  his  galley's  bow, 
Eight  nobly  scours  the  ocean  now. 
On  Scotland's  coast  he  lights  the  brand 
Of  naming  war  ;  with  conquering  hand 
Drives  many  a  Scottish  warrior  t  %11 
To  the  bright  seats  in  Odin's  hall. 

GAUKA    THORER. 

The  King  said,  "  And  I  have  a  great  inclination  to  take  such  ;  but 
are  ye  Christian  men  ?" 

Gauka  Thorer  replies,  that  he  is  neither  Christian  nor  heathen.  "  I 
and  my  comrades  have  no  faith  but  on  ourselves,  our  strength,  and 
the  luck  of  victory  ;  and  with  this  faith  we  slip  through  sufficiently 
well." 

The  King  replies,  "  A  great  pity  it  is  that  such  brave  slaughtering 
fellows  did  not  believe  in  Christ  their  Creator." 

Thorer  replies,  "  Is  there  any  Christian  man,  king,  in  thy  follow 
ing,  who  stands  so  high  in  the  air  as  we  two  brothers." — Lainy's 
Translation. 


THE   ICELANDER.  31 

represented  it  as  discontented  with  its  connection  with 
Denmark,  and  ready  to  accept  almost  any  other  foreign 
government.  It  still  produced,  he  said,  many  students 
and  scholars,  who  mostly  went  to  the  University  of  Copen 
hagen. 

I  found  we  had  an  equal  admiration  for  the  old  Icelandic 
literature,  though  I  knew  it  only  by  translation.  A  new 
German  translation  of  the  Eddas,  by  Simrock,  which  I 
had  with  me,  he  pronounced  one  of  the  very  best  yet  made, 
preserving  the  alliteration  admirably. 

He  attached  very  little  historic  authority  to  the  sagas 
which  Snorro  Sturleson  collected  of  times  before  the  7th 
and  8th  centuries.  The  saga  of  the  discovery  of  America 
by  the  Northmen,  he,  as  most  scholars,  considered  to  be 
based  in  fact,  especially  as  it  is  conjoined  with  the  saga- 
accounts  of  Greenland  and  its  occupation,  which  recent 
investigations  by  the  Danish  government  into  the  remains 
of  the  early  settlements  have  fully  confirmed.  His  theory 
of  the  settlement  of  Iceland  was  peculiar — that  colonists 
from  Ireland  and  the  adjacent  islands,  first  occupied  the 
island,  and  these  were  succeeded  by  Norwegian  Northmen.* 

*  One  of  the  old  sagas  relates  that  a  celebrated  Icelandic  chicftaiu 
had  his  son  taught  Irish,  "  that  nothing  should  be  wanting  to  him, 
if  he  should  ever  come  to  Ireland!" 


CHAPTER   III. 

POSTING    OVER   THE    DOVRE    FIELD. 

CHRISTIANIA,  to  most  travellers,  is  merely  a  waiting-place. 
People  are  always  preparing  in  it,  and  questioning,  and 
investigating  as  to  the  perils  and  trials  of  the  unknown 
journey  in  the  interior.  My  perplexities  were  somewhat 
increased,  by  having  now  a  lady  to  provide  for — my  wife 
having  joined  me  by  steamer  from  Hull — and  for  a  woman's 
travelling  in  Norway,  there  seems  not  the  slightest  pro 
vision.  One  thing  was  clear,  that  beyond  the  railway  and 
the  Mjosen  Lake,  there  was  no  public  conveyance,  except 
a  kind  of  peasant's  dog-cart.  But  whether  to  hire  a  double 
carriage,  or  a  chaise,  or  carrioles,  or  to  buy  one  or  any 
of  these,  was  the  problem.  A  carriage  and  driver  to  Trondh- 
jem  alone  would  come  to  about  sixty  dollars.  Luckily  we 
had  an  honest  reliable  landlord,  who  spoke  English,  to 
whom  I  most  cordially  recommend  all  distressed  travellers, 
starting  for  the  unknown  journey  through  Norwegian 
mountains.  Mr.  Halvorsen,  the  landlord  of  the  Hotel  dn 
Nord,  remember  !  After  exploring  everything  else,  1  took 
his  advice  precisely,  and  it  turned  out  the  very  best.  In 
fact,  no  other  vehicle  would  have  done  at  all.  I  bought 


PREPARATIONS.  33 

two  new  light  carrioles,  for  seventy  dollars,  with  the  privi 
lege  of  returning  them  at  the  end  of  the  journey,  and 
receiving  fifty-five  dollars  back,  if  they  were  uninjured. 
Of  these  interesting  vehicles,  more  hereafter.  Our  equip 
ment  was  also  very  carefully  provided  ;  and,  as  I  trust, 
in  a  few  years,  a  summer-trip  over  the  mountains  of  Nor 
way  will  be  as  common  and  popular  to  Americans,  as 
now  is  a  journey  to  the  Springs,  I  will  give  it.  Baggage, 
a  small  valise  each,  with  thick  covers  (the  best  is  oil-skin), 
and  straps  to  fasten  them  under  the  post-boy's  seat.  The 
gentlemen  must  have  an  India-rubber  poncha,  very  light, 
slouched  hat,  thick  shawl,  thick  over-coat  and  shoes,  and 
clothes  very  strong,  with  walking-stick  and  wallet  and  a 
leathern-bag  for  small  silver  and  copper  coin.  This  last 
indispensable.  The  lady,  a  water-proof  cloak  with  hood 
(an  excellent  article  called  aqua-scutum,  can  be  obtained 
in  London),  blanket-shawls,  stout  leather  boots  (India- 
rubbers  for  change)  ;  warm  winter  clothing,  and  a  wallet 
for  tea,  and  guide-books,  etc.,  etc.  One  bonnet,  I  am  in 
structed,  with  change  of  trimmings  ! 

The  great  object  being  to  have  everything  as  compact 
as  possible,  and  to  be  prepared  for  the  hardest  treatment, 
that  clothes,  luggage,  vehicle,  and  externals  can  pos 
sibly  sustain,  for  the  dust,  heat,  mud,  rain,  snow,  and 
bitter  cold  Nothing  that  is  taken  in  the  way  of  garments, 
it  should  be  remembered,  will  ever  come  back  in  wearable 
condition.  For  stores,  if  the  party  be  inclined  to  dyspepsia, 
take  portable  soup  and  biscuit,  and  in  any  case,  tea.  I 
took  no  brandy  or  wine,  but  those  who  need  them  should 

2* 


34:  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

be  reminded  that  the  country  inns  have  nothing  of  the 
kind. 

june . — As  usual,  too  late  in  starting  ;  nobody  in  the 

Christiania  Hotel  in  the  least  hurry — the  landlord  quietly 
observing  as  we  leave  the  house,  while  he  looks  at  his  watch, 
that  he  thinks  we  cannot  possibly  reach  the  train,  though 
he  knows  we  have  been  waiting  already  two  days  beyond 
our  time.  Our  rosy-faced  commissionaire  who  had  negoti 
ated  for  the  carrioles,  starts  them  off  at  the  same  time  with 
ourselves.  The  clock  in  the  Station  already  points  the 
hour  ;  the  rooms  for  the  first  and  second  classes  are 
crowded  with  people — sportsmen  in  grey  shawls,  and  Cali 
fornia  hats  ;  travellers  in  oil-skin  sou'-westers  ;  gentlemen 
of  business,  soldiers  and  ladies — all  gathering  parcels,  call 
ing  for  tickets,  and  hurrying  to  and  fro. 

The  commissionaire  puts  the  carrioles  aboard  the  freight 
cars,  and  I  buy  the  tickets  in  agonizing  haste  ;  but  there  is 
not  the  slightest  occasion  for  it.  Our  railroad,  like  every 
thing  else  in  Norway,  takes  its  time.  We  seat  ourselves  in 
a  second-class  carriage,  dispose  the  bundles — but  finding  two 
pipes  already  beginning  to  smoke,  in  different  parts  of  it, 
change  to  a  first-class  before  there  is  any  indication  of  the 
train's  starting.  At  length  the  guard,  evidently  from  his 
face  an  Englishman,  locks  the  door  and  we  are  off.  Our 
car  is  entirely  English,  even  more  comfortable  than  many 
English  first-class  carriages,  and  we  have  the  cushioned  lit 
tle  compartment  entirely  to  ourselves.  The  scenery  on  the 
route  is  much  like  that  of  a  New-England  railroad — long, 


RAILROAD.  35 

sloping,  pine-covered  hills,  glimpses  of  rivers  and  white  foam 
through  trees,  green  rye  fields  and  pastures,  and  here  and 
there  a  log-house,  or  little  village  of  red  houses.  Time, 
about  eighteen  miles  an  hour  ;  length,  forty-two  miles. 

This  road  has  been  built  in  great  part  by  the  aid  of- 
English  capital,  at  the  cost  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  per 
mile.  Part  of  the  directors  reside  in  England.  It  pays 
only  about  three  per  cent,  on  the  whole  stock,  but  is 
increasing  daily  in  business.  From  the  connection  with  the 
steamer  on  Lake  Mjb'sen,  it  is  enabled  to  gather  in  the  pro 
ducts  and  passengers  from  a  considerable  back  country,  per 
haps  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  extent.  It  is  the  only 
railroad  in  Norway.  Another  is  much  talked  of  now,  which 
shall  connect  Norway  and  Sweden,  by  Kongsvinger  on  the 
Glommen,  to  the  northeast  of  Christiania. 

This  road  ends  at  Eidsvold.  Here  we  found  a  very  com 
fortable,  sensible  sort  of  station  ;  boats  were  in  waiting  to 
take  the  passengers  to  the  steamer — none  of  our  frail, 
modern  boats,  but  broad,  substantial  Norsk  vessels — into 
which  carrioles,  luggage,  and  passengers  can  be  dumped 
without  inconvenience.  Four  carrioles  and  one  low-wheeled 
carriage  for  two  horses  were  taken  up  by  crane  and  rope  on 
the  front  deck  of  the  steamer.  For  the  two  vehicles  and 
ourselves  the  fare  of  the  ferry  was  sixteen  cents.  No  one 
put  himself  out,  and  in  about  two  hours  everything  was 
aboard,  and  we  were  under  weigh. 

As  I  already  find  in  Norway,  charges  are  low,  and  no  one 
seems  to  wish  to  take  advantage  of  you.  (N.  B. — Two  per 
sons  have  returned  me  change  to-day,  overpaid.) 


36  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

A  polite  Norwegian  gentleman,  travelling  by  post  to 
Trondhjem,  has  taken  us  in  charge,  and  by  his  thorough 
kindness  we  ge^t  on  admirably.  He  says  that  the  carriage 
on  board  belongs  to  one  of  the  Bonders,*  or  peasant  farmers 
on  the  Lake — the  wealthiest  class  in  Norway. 

The  scenery  of  Lake  Mjosen  is  not  at  all  remarkable — 
pretty  and  gentle  with  green  hills  sloping  far  to  the  water, 
sprinkled  over  with  littie  brown  or  black  houses.  A  great 
deal  of  cultivation  is  visible,  and  constantly  small  villages 
of  neatly-cut  log  houses  come  in  sight,  where  the  steamer 
stops — on  the  whole,  the  scene  is  much  like  Lake  Cham- 
plain  or  Lake  George. 

Every  thing  is  done  in  the  easiest  way  possible.  Broad 
boats  pull  leisurely  off,  the  boatmen  raise  their  hats,  the 
sailors  raise  their  caps,  passengers  bid  polite  adieus,  and 
calmly  smoking  step  into  the  boats.  A  passenger  is  putting- 
on  his  coat,  and  the  man  at  the  wheel  leaves  the  helm  to 
help  him  get  it  on.  The  carriage  is  swung  off  into  a  large 
scow-boat ;  a  gentlemanly-looking  man  receives  it,  and  pulls 
off  with  sweeps,  and  does  not  even  take  off  his  coat.  When 
last  seen,  the  current  has  taken  him  quite  below  the  landing- 
place,  and  the  boat  seems  much  too  heavy  for  him,  but  he 
labors  on  undisturbed. 

The  men  one  sees  are  tall,  florid,  vigorous-looking,  but 
generally  spare  in  the  face — blond,  with  wrinkled  face  near 
the  eyes,  and  often,  with  what  I  observed  in  Christiania,  a 

*  I  shall  adopt  this  English  version  of  the  Norwegian  word  Baen- 
der,  as  better  than  any  translation. 


THE  PASSENGERS.  37* 

slight  obliquity  in  the  eyelids.  The  nose  is  regular,  and  is  a 
little  raised  in  line. 

There  are  not  many  passengers  in  the  cabin — a  few  Danish 
ladies  coming  to  the  Lake  for  a  pleasure  trip,  and  to  see  a 
Norwegian  Scfiter  or  mountain  pasture,  one  or  two  Norwe 
gians,  and  two  English  sportsmen,  salmon-fishers.  These 
last  are  desperately  bored,  and  one — generally  in  the  finest 
scenery — turns  his  face  to  the  wall  and  sleeps.  They  left 
England  because  they  were  so  bored  ;  and  they  find  this 
almost  as  bad,  though  once  in  the  mountains  they  hope  for 
sport. 

The  Lake  is  only  sixty-three  miles  long,  but  we  did  not 
reach  the  town  at  the  end,  Lillehammer,  before  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  It  was  still  bright  daylight  ;  a  crowd  of 
boys  were  on  the  pier — there  was  no  shouting  or  excitement 
— boys  raise  their  caps,  we  raise  ours — the  little  carrioles  are 
lifted  up  by  the  cranes  on  the  dock.  In  a  few  moments, 
small  Norwegian  ponies  are  harnessed  to  them  and  we  drive 
towards  our  inn. 

It  was  very  important  that  evening,  that  I  should  see  a 
gentleman,  to  whom  I  had  especial  letters — the  principal 
magistrate  of  the  province.  It  was  half  past  eleven  at  night, 
though  still  only  a  pleasant  twilight,  and  with  some  trepida 
tion  I  drove  to  his  house.  He  was  up  with  his  ladies  in  the 
drawing-room,  and  Welcomed  me,  just  as  if  it  was  a  seasona 
ble  hour  in  the  afternoon.  He  spoke  English.  I  desired  only 
to  state  my  objects,  and  not  further  to  detain  them — but  he 
would  not  hear  of  it.  The  guest  must  at  least  break  bread 
with  them.  Some  refreshments  were  brought,  and  he  was 


38  THE    N  ORSE-  FOLK  . 

gone  for  a  few  moments,  while  I  chatted  with  the  ladies. 
He  had  said  so  little,  and  used  so  few  ceremonies,  and  I  had 
made  such  a  strange  intrusion,  that  I  should  not  have  been 
surprised  at  his  getting  rid  of  me  on  the  easiest  terms.  But 
on  the  contrary,  he  had  been  showing  me  the  most  thorough 
kindness — a  sort  of  English-like  politeness  which  conies  right 
to  the  point  of  your  wishes,  and  serves  you  without  words  in 
the  most  direct  way.  In  those  few  minutes,  he  had  prepared 
a  plan  of  travel  and  given  me  directions  to  various  parties 
through  the  country,  which  saved  me  afterwards  weeks  of 
useless  labor.  They  drank  a  parting  health,  and  bade  a 
warm  good-bye,  and  the  hostess  handing  me  a  bouquet  of 
roses  for  the  lady  traveller,  we  separated,  much  to  my  regret. 

Our  hotel  was  a  droll  little  place.  The  rooms  seemed  to 
be  arranged  en  suite,  so  that  I  had  to  pass  through  one  with 
two  couples  in  different  beds,  and  one  with  a  single  gentle 
man,  before  I  reached  mine,  and  in  that,  the  door  would 
neither  lock  nor  shut.  When  such  accidents  began  in  Nor 
way,  I  always  put  my  purse  anxiously  under  my  pillow,  but 
soon  gave  up  all  that.  You  very  soon  see  that  you  are 
among  the  most  honest  people  in  the  world. 

An  English  gentleman,  a  year  or  two  ago,  in  travelling 
from  Trondhjem  to  Christiania,  tied  his  porte-monnaie — which 
is  a  large  leather  bag  for  carrying  the  quantity  of  little  sil 
ver  money  necessary— on  the  back  of  his  carriole,  and  lost 
out  fourteen  or  fifteen  sovereigns  on  the  road.  He  wrote  on 
arrival  at  Christiania,  to  the  country  judges,  and  in  a  few 
days  had  every  one  of  the  sovereigns  returned  to  him.  They 
had  been  picked  up  by  the  peasants,  and  handed  to  the  rna- 


THECAKKIOLE.  39 

gistrates,  who  sent  them  on  to  the  owner.  We  are  con 
stantly  meeting  similar  little  instances  of  honesty.  People 
take  money  whenever  offered,  but  they  always  seem  content 
with  a  little  ;  and  if  they  are  convinced  that  they  over 
charge,  they  are  usually  willing  to  take  off  a  portion. 

At  half  past  four  in  the  morning,  the  servant  girl  was  at 
my  bedside  with  a  cup  of  good  coffee  and  delicious  cream  ; 
and  in  a  little  time  we  were  safely  fastened  into  our  carrioles. 

Your  first  experience  in  a  carriole  is  no  joke.  The  sen 
sation  over  a  pebbly  road  is  as  if  your  teeth  would  be 
shaken  out. 

The  morning  was  a  glorious  one.  We  wound  along  the 
back  of  a  giant-hill,  with  a  deep  spacious  valley  beneath, 
and  a  stream  rushing  through  far  below  in  the  bottom. 
The  sun-beams  fell  across  in  great  breadths  of  light ;  the 
grass  and  grain-fields  were  sparkling  with  dew,  and  distant 
perspectives,  with  blue  mountains  and  ponderous  pine- 
covered  hills  in  the  foreground,  opened  before  us.  Every 
thing  was  still,  and  pure,  and  grand,  but  yet  it  was  not 
satisfactory.  The  carrioles  seemed  like  to  shake  our  brains 
to  pieces  ;  heads  and  necks  became  almost  dislocated. 
After  half  an  hour's  travel,  we  were  as  tired  as  if  it  had 
been  a  day's.  We  agreed  that  Norway  was  grand,  but 
this  would  never  do.  At  length,  the  lady  gives  out,  and 
is  handed  over  to  a  public  carriage  which  runs  up  a  few 
miles,  while  one  of  the  English  salmon-fishers  agrees  to 
drive  her  carriole. 

This  vehicle,  the   American  reader   should   understand, 
belongs  to  the  general  species  of  our  New  York  "sulkies" 


40  THE    NoKSE-FoLK. 

for  fast  trotting.  It  is  a  single  cushioned-seat,  just  fitted 
for  the  person,  with  a  little  strip  of  wood  reaching  in 
front  to  a  narrow  dash-board,  and  swings  on  a  pair  of 
ashen  shafts  between  the  horse's  back  and  the  single  pair 
of  wheels.  A  leathern  apron  closely  fastened  to  the  scat 
covers  the  front  part,  in  which  your  feet  can  be  stretched. 
The  dash-board  has  a  bag  for  your  wallet,  and  a  place 
on  which  to  tie  umbrellas.  The  luggage  must  be  tied  on 
or  under  a  little  seat  behind,  where  the  post-boy  sits.  It 
is  the  lightest  thing  imaginable,  for  a  man  to  ride  in, 
and  has  the  advantage  of  being  easily  taken  to  pieces, 
when  you  come  to  a  lake  or  Fiord,  and  put  into  boats. 

This  beginning  with  the  carrioles  was  not  at  all  a  fair 
instance.  The  road  was  stony,  and  we  were  not  accus 
tomed  to  them.  We  soon  became  used  to  the  motion, 
and  over  the  perfect  Norwegian  roads  it  became  a  luxury 
to  travel  in  them.  Indeed,  the  great  temptation  was  to 
hurry  on  too  much.  The  little  Norwegian  horses  whirl 
one  on  at  such  a  rate,  and  it  is  so  pleasant  to  have  the 
union  of  grand  scenery  enjoyed  at  your  leisure,  with  this 
excellent  driving,  that  you  are  for  ever  getting  on.  The 
night,  too,  almost  as  bright  as  the  day,  is  so  tempting. 
You  come  to  have  a  kind  of  mania  for  making  the  station 
(usually  six  or  seven  miles),  in  the  three-quarters.  Every 
one  you  meet  has  the  same  mania.  Our  two  English 
salmon-fishers,  who  had  nothing  in  the  world  to  do,  were 
hurrying  this  day,  as  if  their  life  depended  on  it.  "We 
ourselves,  with  all  the  unpromising  beginning,  posted  eighty- 
six  miles  before  midnight. 


THE    SCENERY.  41 

The  scenery  to-day  in  the  Gulgdbrandsdal  has  been  im 
pressive,  yet  hardly  equal  to  my  expectation.  The  aspects 
have  scarcely  been  bold  and  grand  enough.  Perhaps 
the  finest  effect  was  in  the  sensation  just  hinted  at,  the 
fresh  exciting  feeling  of  travelling  through  constantly  new 
scenes  of  such  lonely  beauty,  the  idea  of  continuousuess 
of  enjoyment  in  Nature,  as  if  for  days  to  come,  she  would 
open  successive  pictures  to  you. 

Then  the  silence  ! 

The  old  Scandinavian  Mythology  placed  among  its 
deities,  the  god  YIDAK,  son  of  Odin,  who  dwells  in  Land- 
vidi,  or  the  "  Boundless  Land."  He  is  called  by  the  poets, 
the  Silent.  He  represents  the  imperishability  of  Nature. 
Of  him,  Thorpe  says,  "  Who  has  ever  wandered  through 
such  forests,  in  a  length  of  many  miles,  in  a  boundless 
expanse,  without  a  path,  without  a  goal,  amid  their  mon 
strous  shadows,  their  sacred  gloom,  without  being  filled 
with  deep  reverence  for  the  sublime  greatness  of  Nature 
above  all  human  agency,  without  feeling  the  grandeur  of 
the  idea  which  forms  the  basis  of  Yidar's  essence  !" 

One  feels  him  still  in  those  grand,  silent  mountain-valleys 
of  Norway. 

JOURNAL. 

June . — Station  E, — One   o'clock. — "Six  miles   in 

fifty-five  minutes.  Good!  Hest&ml  StraxP1  (Horses  !  right 
away  !)  These  are  the  two  magical  words.  You  unbundle 
yourself,  jump  out,  and  rush  into  the  farm-house  for  refresh 
ments.  Everything  is  very  cheap — a  breakfast,  with  deli- 


42  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

cious  coffee,  for  sixteen  or  twenty  cents.  The  cream  seems 
scarcely  ever  made  into  butter,  but  to  be  used  at  once  for 
coffee  and  tea,  and  in  cooking.  Butter  is  usually  poor,  and 
often  imported — a  singular  instance  of  Norwegian  want  of 
economy,  still  a  by  no  means  disagreeable  fact  to  a  travel 
ler.  One  favorite  dish  is  sour  cream,  eaten  with  sugar. 

These  stations  are  kept  up  by  the  peasants  by  law,  and 
they  are  obliged  to  have  horses  ready,  and  to  furnish 
refreshments.  Every  charge  is  fixed  by  legal  enactment. 
We  pay  at  the  "  fast  stations" — i.  e.,  stations  where  horses 
must  be  kept  ready — almost  thirty-one  cents  for  seven  miles, 
which,  with  a  small  gratuity  to  the  post-boy,  makes  the 
expense  of  posting  about  five  cents  a  mile.  Every  station 
has  a  "Post-book,"  with  the  law  in  regard  to  the  rates  of 
posting,  the  fines,  etc.,  etc.  Each  traveller  is  expected  to 
put  his  name  in  the  book,  and  if  he  has  a  complaint  to 
lodge  against  the  postman  or  the  fare  of  the  house,  he  does 
it  in  these  books.  The  horses  trot  wonderfully  well.  We 
have  passed  one  stage,  of  eleven  miles  and  three-fourths,  in 
an  hour  and  five  minutes — most  of  it  down  hill,  however. 

A  Norwegian  gentleman  has  been  travelling  with  us,  and 
at  first,  it  was  almost  frightful  to  see  him,  when  reaching  a 
hill-summit,  suddenly  disappear,  and  then,  on  coming  our 
selves  there,  to  find  him  plunging  at  tremendous  speed  far 
down  the  slopes  below. 

But  we  have  soon  become  used  to  this  habit  of  Norwe 
gian  driving,  and  whirl  down  the  hills  at  fearful  rate.  We 
hardly  hold  the  reins  in  at  all — the  little  horses  managing 
all,  without  ever  stumbling. 


AN   OFFICIAL.  43 

Station  M. — We  have  just  visited  a  singular  little  Lu 
theran  church,  built  of  logs,  and  entirely  covered  with  large 
square  pieces  of  slate,  instead  of  boarding.  The  nave 
crosses  the  transept  at  right  angles  in  the  centre.  The 
inside  is  furnished  with  plain  wooden  seats ;  the  altar  is 
ornamented  with  old  gilt  carving,  and  it  has  a  painting  and 
candles.  A  little  model  of  a  ship,  a  foot  or  two  long,  hangs 
over  the  aisle.  The  churches  we  have  passed  are  very  pictur 
esque — painted  red  or  brown,  with  pointed  white  spires,  some 
times  with  several  parts,  built  one  upon  the  other  in  a  pleas 
ing  proportion.  We  have  passed  one,  an  octagon  in  shape. 

I  had  a  letter  to  the  Head  Sheriff  of  this  district,  and 
have  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  conversation  with  him.  As 
usual,  the  Norwegian  officials  seem  really  the  first  men  in 
the  community.  This  gentleman,  who  spoke  English  well, 
was  a  person  of  singular  dignity  and  intelligence.  With 
reference  to  the  education  of  the  country  districts,  he  states 
that  owing  to  the  scattered  dwellings  of  the  population, 
they  cannot  have  many  fixed  schools,  so  that  the  schoolmas 
ter  goes  from  house  to  house,  and  gathers  in  each,  the  chil 
dren  of  the  nearest  neighbors.  Their  pay  is  only  a  few 
dollars  a  month.  The  higher  classes  must  have  tutors  for 
their  children  or  send  them  to  the  towns.  The  churches  are 
equally  scattered — -still,  the  people,  he  thinks,  very  faithful 
in  their  attendance.  The  morality  of  the  country  he  con 
siders  much  improved  since  the  working  of  the  Temperance 
Societies  in  Norway.  Wine  is  still  drank  at  tables,  but 
brandy  has  been  much  abandoned,  and  intemperance  is 
uncommon. 


44  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

I  learn  "from  this  gentleman,  that  there  are  a  certain 
number  of  Norwegian  families  who  are  confirmed  gipsies  in 
habits.  They  are  mostly  the  descendants  of  a  vagabond 
population,  which  was  scattered  over  Europe,  after  the 
Thirty  Years'  War.  They  wander  from  one  end  of  the 
land  to  the  other,  stealing  and  begging,  and  have  scarce 
any  settled  home.  There  is  a  police-book,  with  the  names 
of  every  one.  An  antiquarian  of  Christiania,  Mr.  SUNDT, 
has  written  a  curious  book  upon  this  class,  the  Fante.  We 
have,  thus  far,  hardly  seen  a  beggar. 

The  cultivation  along  the  road  has  been  good  to-day — the 
crops  mostly  rye,  oats,  and  barley.  In  some  fields,  water 
had  been  brought  from  the  hills  above,  in  wooden  troughs, 
and  men,  in  the  universally  worn  red  caps,  stood  with  ladles 
and  sprinkled  it  over  the  ground.  The  tops  of  the  hills  are 
covered  with  forest,  while  the  lower  slopes  are  cultivated, 
and  dotted  with  brown  log-houses.  These  are  nearly  always 
groups,  arranged  in  square,  of  four  or  six  houses — one  as 
the  dwelling,  one  the  kitchen,  one  for  guests,  and  the  rest 
for  "the  creatures,"  as  the  Norwegians,  Yankee-like,  call 
the  cattle.  We  pass  no  villages,  yet,  on  the  whole,  the 
country  must  be  populous.  All  the  houses  have  flowers  in 
the  windows.  The  roads  are  very  good,  of  stone,  covered 
with  gravel.  The  fences  are  of  poles,  inclining  between  two 
cross-bars. 

Station  F. — We  have  just  met  two  English  sportsmen,  in 
carrioles.  We  not  only  did  not  salute,  but  there  was  scarcely 
a  look  on  their  side,  even  of  curiosity — hardly  more  than  if 
we  had  met  in  Regent's  Park.  The  country-people  gen- 


A  MOUNTAIN-PASS.  45 

erally  lift  their  hats  to  us.  We  meet  only  a  few  persons 
travelling,  and  they  are  usually  in  rough  carrioles.  We  find 
that  the  lady-traveller  makes  a  great  sensation  among  the 
peasants.  And,  indeed,  what  with  the  capote  and  out-flying 
travelling-costume,  and  the  comical  little  vehicle  dashing 
along  the  roads,  under  female  hands,  we  cannot  help  having, 
ourselves,  a  good  laugh  occasionally  at  the  droll  aspect. 

The  people  at  the  inns  find  a  woman  from  America  a 
great  curiosity  ;  they  examine  her  dress,  price  every  article, 
and  ask  innumerable  questions.  Yet  they  are  all  exceed 
ingly  civil  and  attentive,  though  apparently  a  little  per 
plexed  at  the  wants  of  modern  civilization. 

Station  L. — Not  far  from  this  station  where  we  are  pass 
ing  the  night,  we  rode  through  the  narrow  way,  where  more 
than  two  centuries  ago,  an  ill-fated  army  of  Scotchmen  was 
crushed  to  death  by  rocks  and  stones,  rolled  down  from  the 
mountain  above  by  the  peasants.  They  were  allies  of  Gus- 
tavus  Adolphus  in  his  war  with  Denmark,  and  were  making 
a  bold  cross-march  over  Norway  to  Sweden,  when  they 
were  suddenly  destroyed.  As  we  passed,  a  dark  storm  was 
covering  the  sky,  and  there  was  a  desolate  gloom  and  wild- 
ness  over  the  spot. 

It  is  a  sombre,  fearful  way,  even  on  the  new  road,  which 
Norwegian  enterprise  has  constructed.  A  simple  monument 
of  stone,  with  an  inscription,  marks  the  spot,  where  SINCLAIR 
and  his  brave  comrades  fell. 

Our  hotel  is  also  in  a  desolate  pass ; — not  a  house  in 
sight,  only  a  turbulent  river  and  an  immense  bare  mountain 
side,  with  hardly  a  tree  to  hide  its  barrenness.  We  sit  by 


46  THE    N  ORSE-  F  o  LK. 

the  great  roaring  kitchen-fire.  The  bed-rooms  are  large 
unpainted  boarded  rooms,  approached  by  a  stairway  on  the 
outside  of  the  house  ;  water  for  the  morning  is  brought  in  a 
black  wine  bottle  1  Yet  every  thing  is  very  clean  and  neat, 
and  the  people  are  anxious  to  please. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A    VISIT     TO     A     BONDER. 

Tofte  — .  A  bit  of  the  old  Saga  history  belongs  here — a 
glimpse  of  the  Norwegian  Kings  : 

"  King  Harald  (Haarfager),  one  winter,  went  about  in  guest-quarters 
in  Upland,  and  had  ordered  a  Christmas  feast  to  be  prepared  for  him 
at  the  farm  Thopte  (from  Tofte). — On  Christmas  eve  came  Swase  to 
the  door,  just  as  the  king  went  to  table,  and  sent  a  message  to  the 
king  to  ask  if  he  would  go  out  with  him.  The  king  was  angry  at 
such  a  message,  and  the  man  who  brought  it  in  took  out  with  him  a 
reply  of  the  king's  displeasure.  But  Swase,  notwithstanding,  desired 
that  his  message  should  be  delivered  a  second  time ;  adding  to  it  that 
he  was  the  Laplander  whose  hut  the  king  had  promised  to  visit,  and 
which  stood  on  the  other  side  of  the  ridge.  Now  the  king  sent  out. 
and  promised  to  follow  him,  and  went  over  the  ridge  to  his  hut, 
although  some  of  his  men  dissuaded  him.  There  stood  Snaefrid,  the 
daughter  of  Swase,  a  most  beautiful  girl ;  and  she  filled  a  cup  of 
mead  for  the  king — but  he  took  hold  both  of  the  cup  and  of  her 
hand." 

The  saga  goes  on  to  tell,  in  rather  plain  language,  that  he 
fell  passionately  in  love  with  her,  and  finally  married  her,  for 
getting,  such  was  his  passion,  both  his  crown  and  dignity. 

Tofte  is  one  of  the  old  Royal  stations.      In  the  chronicle 

47 


4:8  THE    NOKSE    FOLK. 

of  King  Eysten,  who  reigned  about  1120,  the  king  is  repre 
sented  as  having  a  great  dispute  with  King  Sigurd,  in  their 
guest-quarters,  as  to  the  good  deeds  of  each.  Sigurd  relates 
his  crusades,  but  Eysten,  among  other  improvements  which 
he  describes  himself  as  making,  says,  "  The  road  from  Dron- 
theim  goes  over  the  Dovrefield,  and  many  people  had  to 
sleep  out  of  doors,  and  make  a  very  severe  journey :  but  I 
built  inns,  and  supported  them  with  money  ;  and  all  travel 
lers  know  that  Eysten  has  been  king  in  Norway." 

They  were  at  first  only  block-houses  (called  saelnhus  in 
the  sagas),  and  uninhabited.  The  first  inn  (taf&rnishus}  was 
built  in  1303,  by  King  Hakon  Magnusson. 

Tofte  was  one  of  the  stations  thus  supported  by  the  kings. 
Even  yet,  these  Post-Houses  have  peculiar  rights — the 
owners  being  freed  from  taxes,  and  enjoying  other  privileges. 

I  had  noticed  in  the  room  of  the  post-house  some  remark 
able  articles  of  furniture  of  black  carved  wood,  with  gilt 
ornaments,  and  was  told  that  the  Bonder  who  owned  them 
lived  on  the  hill  near  by.  I  felt  a  great  desire  to  see  the 
farm-buildings  of  one  of  this  class,  but  was  doubtful  whether 
I  should  be  received  without  a  proper  letter  of  introduction. 
A  Norwegian  gentleman  in  the  inn  encouraged  me,  saying 
no  one  made  ceremonies  here,  so,  engaging  a  guide,  I 
started  off. 

The  Bonder  of  Norway  is  not  at  all  a  common  peasant. 
In  one  sense  he  is  the  aristocrat  of  the  country  ;  he  owns 
the  land,  and  is  descended  from  the  old  leaders,  and  some 
times  the  princes,  of  the  nation.  His  class  send  the  most 
of  the  Representatives  to  the  National  Assembly.  We 


A     FARMER.  49 

might  say,  he  is  one  of  the  farmers,  or  yeomanry  of  Nor 
way  ;  but,  so  far  as  my  observation  extends,  the  Bonder  are 
not  at  all  like  the  "  farmers"  of  America,  or  the  yeomen  of 
England.  They  are  a  more  distinct  class  ;  a  class  with  less 
of  the  gentleman  and  more  of  the  relics  of  the  former  peasan 
try  about  them — who,  though  independent,  were  still  some 
what  in  the  power  of  the  great  princes.  In  this — the  middle 
province  of  Norway — you  see  them  continually  on  the  boats, 
at  the  post-houses,  and  working  in  the  fields.  Their  features 
are  usually  large  and  strong,  with  firm  and  intelligent  ex 
pression,  and  the  blonde  complexion  much  reddened  by  the 
exposure  to  the  weather.  They  seem  vigorous,  well-made 
men.  The  common  costume  is  a  red  cap,  like  a  night-cap  ; 
jacket  with  metal,  buttons,  and  breeches.  The  farm  build 
ings  of  one  Bonder  were  shown  me,  on  Lake  Mjoseu,  who 
was  estimated  to  be  worth  $100,000. 

The  gaard,  or  estate,  of  this  proprietor  was  on  a  hill, 
commanding  an  immense,  view,  and  like  all  the  farms  we 
have  passed,  formed  with  its .  buildings,  a  little  square,  the 
interior  being  protected  from  the  winter  winds.  There  was 
no  indication,  among  various  houses,  which  was  the  main 
dwelling,  but  finding  one  hospitable-looking  door,  I  rapped 
with  my  knuckles,  and  a  servant  girl  opened.  She  under 
stood  me,  and  summoned  the  master.  He  came  soon,  and 
looking  at  a  sort  of  general  letter  I  had,  at  once  showed  me 
into  another  of  the  little  houses  in  the  square. 

There  was  something  very  notable  in  his  appearance  ;  he 
was  not  exactly  a  "  gentleman,"  in  the  usual  acceptation, 
not  a  man  of  the- world,  but  he  imoressed  you  as  a  kind  of 

3 


50  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

natural  prince  ;  tall,  strong,  with  commanding  features  and 
long  black  hair,  and  an  air  of  genuine  dignity.  He  wore 
the  red  woollen  cap  and  the  usual  costume  of  the  farmers. 
At  each  door,  as  he  opened  it,  he  stepped  back  and  bowed, 
to  let  me  in.  I  was  shown  into  a  large  room  with  a  hand- 
same  uncarpeted  floor.  The  furniture  was  singular.  On 
each  side  of  the  apartment  were  some  splendid  carved  cabi 
nets  and  tables,  black,  with  gilding — one  with  white  panels, 
having  pictures  in  them — while  in  the  midst  of  the  room  a 
common  deal  table  stood,  with  enormous  legs,  and  in  the  cor 
ners  were  small  tables  and  wooden  settees — -just  such  as  one 
would  see  in  an  English  country  ale-house.  Near  the  door 
was  a  long,  old  clock,  such  as  every  New  Englander  is  fami 
liar  with  in  his  oldest  village  houses.  The  host  had  gone 
out  for  a  little  while,  as  I  was  observing  all  this.  He 
returned,  and  brought  with  him  an  old  gentleman  with  a 
still  more  noble  and  patriarchal  air.  This  one  welcomed  me 
in  the  same  dignified  manner,  and  told  me  in  a  few  words 
that  he  was  a  direct  descendant  from  one  of  the  old  Norwe 
gian  kings,  HARALD  HAARFAGER.  A  decanter  was  then 
brought  in  with  a  cordial,  and  a  glass  poured  out  for  me.  I 
sipped,  and  we  all  bowed,  and  quite  seriously  drank  healths. 
This  custom  of  the  welcoming-drink  dates  back  at  least  to 
times  of  the  early  Vikings.  It  appears  in  all  the  sagas.* 

*  It  is  stated  in  one  of  the  sagas,  that  when  Gangleri  asked  about 
heavenly  things — whether  water  was  drunk  in  Walhalla?  his  informant 
replied,  that  it  would  be  a  wonderful  thing  indeed,  if  the  All-Father 
should  invite  kings,  and  earls,  and  heroes,  to  himself,  only  to  set 
water  before  them ! 


A   FARM-HOUSE.  51 

After  some  conversation,  I  asked  if  they  would  have  any 
objections  to  show  a  stranger  the  house.  They  had  not, 
and  getting  a  bunch  of  keys,  the  younger  took  me  over 
one  or  two  of  the  houses.  There  were  an  immense  number 
of  bedrooms  ;  some  with  plain  farmer-like  furnishing,  others 
with  elegant  curtained  beds  and  pieces  of  splendid  furniture. 
Seeing  my  interest,  my  host  kindly  went  farther  and  took 
me  to  the  store-rooms  and  attic.  There  were  the  winter 
coats,  the  bear  skins  and  furs,  and  reindeer  boots  and  high 
water-boots  ;  the  blankets  and  comfortables  and  dresses  ; 
then  the  little  sleds  and  sleighs  for  the  snow  ;  the  piles 
of  round  oatmeal  cakes,  each  a  foot  and  a  half  in  diameter, 
kept  for  the  food  of  the  laborers  ;  heaps  of  birch  bark 
for  tanning,  spinning-wheels  for  weaving,  shoe-blocks  for 
shoe-making — for  on  these  farms  all  trades  are  carried  on. 
Then  to  the  kitchen — a  still  separate  house  again,  with 
a  sort  of  stone  range  in  a  corner,  over  which  is  a  little 
roof  completely  overshadowing  it,  and  carrying  off  the 
smoke  and  flames  of  the  cooking.  In  another  part  was 
a  great  tin  tub  for  baking  bread,  and  large  vats  or  vessels 
for  boiling.  One  side  of  the  kitchen  was  occupied  with 
beds  for  the  servants.  The  next  little  log-house  seemed 
to  be  for  keeping  preserved  meats  ;  another  was  used  for 
some  common  farm  purposes,  and  had  a  little  cupola  and 
bell,  which  is  often  seen  in  the  Norwegian  farm-clusters, 
and  has  a  most  picturesque  effect.  It  gives  a  centrality 
to  each  group — as  though  they  made  up  one,  home.  There 
were,  I  think,  eight  of  these  log-houses  in  this  gaard. 

This  arrangement  of  many  separate  houses  appears  in 


52  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

all  the  old  sagas.  We  hear  very  early  of  a  sleep-house 
(sympnhus)  ;  and  of  two  stalls  being  kept  apart  from  the 
dwellings,  though  even  at  this  day,  the  Danish  peasant 
has  annuals  and  family  under  one  roof.  The  old  Icelandic 
homesteads  had  often  thirty  or  forty  houses, 

My  host  next  took  me  to  the  stables,  though  "  the 
creatures,"  as  he  informed  me,  were  in  the  mountain  pas 
tures,  or  saetters.  These  are  beautiful  little  green  pastures 
on  the  heights  of  the  mountain,  where  the  cattle  stay  in- 
the  summers,  under  the  charge  of  two  or  three  dairy 
maids  and  men,  who  there  make  their  butter  and  cheese 
for  winter.  They  are  famous  in  Norwegian  poetry  and 
romance. 

The  barns  in  central  Norway,  though  often  old,  have 
the  modern  improvements — being  built  usually  on  a  side- 
hill — with  two  or  three  easy  entrances  to  each  story,  and 
with  apertures  for  sliding  the  hay  or  grain  down  to  the 
stalls  beneath.  The  lower  story  is  the  cattle  stable,  each 
stall  being  constructed  of  two  large  slabs  of  slate,  so 
that  you  look  up,  on  entering,  a  long  range  of  upright 
stone  slabs,  which  make  the  separating  walls  of  each  stall, 
the  floor  is  of  wood,  and  the  feeding  place  a  trough, 
with  bars  above,  as  in  our  own  barns.  The  barns  as 
well  as  other  buildings  are  elevated  on  little  stone  sup 
ports,  to  save  them  from  the  destructive  invasions  of  the 
lemming-rats.* 

*  These  little  creatures  are  a  species  of  rat  which  in  Lapland  is 
very  small,  but  in  Norway  attains  sometimes  the  size  of  a  wharf-rat. 
They  have  black  and  tawny  spots  on  their  backs,  with  white  head  and 


CROPS  AND   CATTLE.  5? 

Slate-slabs  form  a  very  common  article  of  use  in  this 
valley.  This  gentleman  has  one  table,  some  eight  feet  by 
five,  made  of  one  slab. 

One  part  of  the  under  story  was  slabbed  out  for  sheep  and 
pigs.  I  was  surprised  to  see  an  old  threshing-machine  here 
— the  wheels  turned  by  a  horse  moving  in  a  circle  below — a 
ponderous,  primitive-looking  thing,  but  the  owner  said,  very 
useful.  The  common  crops  raised  by  him  are  oats,  barley 
and  hay.  His  fields  are  irrigated  by  water,  brought  down 
in  troughs,  as  I  have  before  described. 

He  has  about  one  hundred  cows,  thirty  horses,  and  hun 
dreds  of  sheep  and  swine. 

I  know  not  how  to  express  enough  my  sense  of  the  cour 
tesy  and  the  intelligence  of  this  Bonder  landlord.  With 
our  limited  means  of  understanding  each  other,  he  showed 
such  a  quickness  and  keenness — such  an  appreciation 
of  the  point  of  every  question,  that  I  was  surprised  how 
much  we  communicated  in  so  few  words.  Then  everywhere, 
he  manifested  such  a  true  and  manly  courtesy,  that  I  left 
him  feeling  the  country  was  very  fortunate  that  possessed 
such  a  class.  They  are  evidently  the  muscle  and  bone  of 
Norway,  and  when  greater  enlightenment  and  modern  enter 
prise  shall  reach  them,  we  shall  see  what  a  nation  this  vigor 
ous  old  Norse  people  can  yet  make. 

belly,  and  grey  legs  and  tail.  Once  in  eight  or  ten  years  there  is 
a  great  immigration  of  these  animals— as  there  is  of  squirrels  in 
America,  directly  over  the  country,  up  mountains,  and  across  lakes. 
Nothing  can  turn  them  aside,  and  they  consume  everything  they 
can  get  hold  of. 


54  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

The  great  historical  fact,  undoubtedly,  which  gave  the 
peculiar  power  to  the  Norwegian  people  in  their  early  his 
tory,  and  which  renders  now  their  peasantry,  one  of  the 
best  of  Europe,  is  that  Feudalism  had  no  existence  among 
them.  Some  of  the  French  historians  have  questioned  this, 
but  there  seems  now  now  no  doubt  of  it.  Feudalism  is 
always  the  fruit  of  conquest.  In  Norway,  the  conquered 
inhabitants,  the  Finns,  melted  away  before  a  race  so  differ 
ent,  or  fled  to  the  Northern  and  most  inaccessible  provinces. 
There  was  no  conquered  people  to  render  military  service. 
The  land  was  divided  among  equals.  Democratic  assemblies 
governed  the  people,  from  the  earliest  times.  Even  the 
petty  kings,  who  were  conquered  and  driven  out  by  Harold 
Haarfager,  were  only  chieftains  from  their  bravery  and  skill, 
and  were  obliged  to  refer  everything  to  the  Things,  or 
Popular  Assemblies.  These  bodies  often  chose  their  king, 
and  nearly  as  often  murdered  him.  The  country  became 
divided  up,  as  it  were  among  a  nation  of  soldiers.  Each 
Bonder  was  a  freeholder,  equal  to  every  one  else,  and  owing 
for  his  estate  no  feudal  duty,  obligation  or  tax  whatever. 
The  only  restriction  upon  him  was  the  Udal  Law.  By  this 
law,  every  descendant  of  the  owner  had,  in  the  order  of  rela.- 
tionship,  a  right  in  the  property.  If  the  possessor  sold  or 
parted  with  the  estate,  the  one  next  of  kin  had  the  power 
to  redeem  it,  by  re-paying  the  purchase-money  ;  and  if  he 
refused,  the  one  next  to  him  had  again  the  same  right.  At, 
his  death  again,  it  was  divided  among  his  lawful  heirs.  The 
time  of  redemption,*  is  in  modern  times  limited  to  five  years. 
*  Laing. 


PRIMOGENITURE.  55 

By  such  a  law,  there  could  be  no  primogeniture,  and  no 
opportunity  for  large  estates.  The  nation,  in  its  early  his 
tory,  was  a  body  of  equal  and  free  petty  land-owners.  It  is 
so  still. 


CHAPTER    V. 

POSTING. 

Dovre  Fjeld. — We  are  ascending  now  the  great  plateau, 
called  the  Dovre  Fjeld  (pronounced  Fiell.)  The  main  road 
over  it  was  first  constructed  in  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth 
century,  by  King  Eysten.  The  scenery  is  very  desolate  : 
there  is  no  vegetation  except  stunted  birch,  and  the  ground 
is  covered  with  fragments  of  rock.  At  a  little  distance,  are 
snow -topped  hills  :  snow  occasionally  drifts  down  near  the 
road.  On  one  side  of  the  way  are  poles,  at  regular  distance, 
to  mark  the  path  in  winter.  Though  it  is  near  the  end  of 
June,  the  air  is  cold  and  cutting,  like  November  winds. 

The  height  above  the  sea  here  is  about  3,200  feet.  We 
can  catch  occasional  glimpses  of  a  famous  snow-peak  in  the 
distance — Sneehcetten — a  mountain  about  7,700  feet  high. 

Jerkin. — This  is  another  of  the  old  government  post- 
houses,  and  is  considered  the  best  between  Christiania  and 
Trondhjem.  It  is  a  little  gaard,  or  group  of  farm-houses  right 
in  the  midst  of  this  desolate  mountain  scenery — not  a  house  or 
tree  in  sight.  We  were  put  into  a  comfortable  upper  room, 
with  a  roaring  fire,  and  a  nice  supper  of  Reindeer-steak  and 
pancakes  with  coffee,  was  sent  up.  The  old  room,  with 

56 


APOST-HOTJSE.  57 

its  great  feather-beds  set  in  alcoves,  and  its  large  chairs 
and  quaint  furniture,  had  a  very  inviting  look  after  our 
long  ride. 

I  went  out  soon  to  examine  the  farm.  The  landlord  is  one 
of  the  old  Bonders  of  the  country  :  and  the  arrangement  is 
very  much  like  that  at  the  farm  near  Tofte,  only  on  a  smaller 
scale.  All  the  trades  are  carried  on  on  the  farm — smithery, 
carpentering,  shoemaking,  weaving,  etc.,  etc.  There  are 
various  little  houses  for  these  and  other  purposes.  In  one 
we  found  dried  meats  ;  in  another,  piles  of  oaten  cakes,  for 
the  workmen  during  the  winter.  One  building  has,  as  usual, 
the  little  belfry.  The  stable  has  the  same  arrangement  of 
stalls,  slabbed  off  by  pieces  of  slates.  The  cows  were 
away  in  the  saetter — I  think  the  boy  said  there  were  fifty  of 
them.  There  were  stalls  also  for  some  forty  or  fifty  horses. 
In  the  house,  the  landlady  showed  us,  with  much  pride,  her 
furs  and  handsome  dresses,  and  other  articles — reindeer 
coats,  bear  and  fox-skins,  wolves'-skins,  and  eider-down  com 
fortables.  Both  she  and  the  landlord  had  much  the  same  man 
ner  that  a  substantial  farmer  and  farmer's  wife  would  have 
with  us — an  independent,  kind,  half-patronizing  way.  This 
post-house  is  a  favorite  sporting  station  for  the  English  :  there 
are  two  sportsmen  now  in  the  little  guest-house  :  and  here 
travellers  leave  the  main  road  to  climb  Sneehoetten.  The 
charges  are  just  about  what  they  would  be  at  an  American 
country  tavern — about  seventy-five  cents,  or  one  dollar  a  day. 
Generally,  the  whole  bill  in  a  Norwegian  inn,  is  not  much 
more  than  fifty  cents  a  day  for  each  person,  provided  he 
does  not  call  for  too  many  dishes.  Travelling  was  once 
3* 


58  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

much  cheaper  in  Norway,  but  the  English  are  said  to  have 
corrupted  the  people,  as  they  have  done  the  Swiss  ;  still, 
even  now  it  is  the  cheapest  country  in  Europe,  except 
Sweden,  for  hotel  charges.  Posting,  inn-charges  and  all, 
come  usually  to  about  three  dollars  a  day. 

There  is  in  these  stations — as  indeed  in  all  interior  Nor 
way — a  curious  mingling  of  habits.  You  climb  a  ladder  to 
your  bed-room,  and  find  there  the  cleanest  beds,  with,  per 
haps,  some  rich  antique  furniture,  but  the  log-walls  scarcely 
covered  by  plaster.  A  very  nice  dinner  may  be  set  before 
you,  with  napkins,  and  you  begin  to  imagine  yourselves  in 
the  most  comfortable  civilization,  when  your  landlady  sud 
denly  empties  your  slops  out  of  the  window,  or  you  discover 
some  singular  omission  on  the  table,  which  could  no  where 
else  occur  with  such  beginnings. 

A  little  beyond  Jerkin,  the  summit  of  the  plateau  is 
reached,  4,594  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

The  descent  from  the  Dovre  Fjeld  down  the  valley  of  the 
Driv,  is  a  grand  mountain  drive — road  like  a  gentleman's 
avenue,  hard,  gravelled,  graded  beautifully,  and  fenced  by 
blocks  of  cut  stone. 

On  the  left,  a  deep  ravine,  with  a  dashing  stream,  with 
waterfalls,  eddies,  flashing  currents,  cavernous  pits,  where  the 
waters  bury  themselves  to  come  out  again  foaming  and 
hurrying  below  ;  and  beyond,  the  eye  looking  far  down  a 
succession  of  such  glens — add  to  this,  your  little  Norwegian 
pony  trotting  down  the  slopes  at  ten  miles  an  hour,  your 
ride  changing  each  moment  the  point  of  view,  yet  giving 
you  time  to  enjoy  each  glimpse,  and  revealing  beds  of  the 


THEFLOWEKS.  59 

most  exquisite  mountain-flowers,  passed  so  quickly,  that  they 
seem  like  masses  of  beautiful  violet,  pink,  or  yellow  coloring 
on  the  rocks,  rather  than  flowers,  and  one  can  perhaps  enjoy 
with  us  that  morning  ride  down  the  mountain.  The  flowers 
are  wonderful,  so  delicate  and  fresh  in  coloring,  growing 
almost  from  the  chinks  of  the  cliffs.  The  lady  can  hardly 
get  on,  for  sending  the  post-boy  to  pick  them  ;  but  "the 
stupid  fellow  "  has  such  a  talent  for  finding  dandelions  and 
butter-cups,  and  weeds,  instead  of  violets  and  hare-bells,  and 
such  like  !  * 

Stuen. — We  are  experiencing  now  some  of  the  fair  com 
pensation  for  the  trouble  which  the  Norwegian  law  allows 
a  traveller  to  put  upon  a  peasant.  We  are  passing  oc 
casionally  common  or  "slow  stations,"  where  horses  are 
not  obliged  to  be  kept,  and  where  it  often  takes  three 
or  four  hours  to  get  one  from  the  mountain-pasture.  To 
avoid  delay,  I  had  sent  on  an  order  for  horses  at  such 
an  hour.  But  we  have  been  everywhere  delayed,  and  in 
consequence  must  pay  wait-money.  ^  There  is  additional 
money  demanded,  too,  for  sending  for  the  horses.  I  dis- 


*  Among  the  flowers  which  we  found  were  the  following : — 
The  draba  (  cruciferce)  ;  viola  palustris,  viola  tricolor ;  lychnis  githago, 
silene  nivea  (caryophyllacea) ;  linum  ;  geranium  palustre  ;  epilobium 
angustifolium  (onogracece) ;  sedum  minimum  (crassulacece) ;  linnaea 
borealis ;  galium  mollugo  (rubiacece) ;  achillea  multifolium  (com- 
positce)  ;  vitis  ideae  altera  (vaccinium),  audromeda  cerulea  (ericacece)  ; 
linaria  vulgaris  (scrophulariacece) ;  echium  ;  pholx  (polemoniacece). 


60  THENOKSE-FOLK. 

puted  and  discussed  it  at  first  considerably,  but  finally 
found  it  was  the  legal  charge. 

I  think  the  Norwegian  always  respects  you  for  ques 
tioning  anything  that  is  an  overcharge.  We  had  a  gov 
ernment  post-book  with  us,  and  knew  exactly  what  we 
should  pay  for  every  mile.  The  peasants  can  always  be 
convinced,  if  you  will  reason  with  them  and  show  your 
authority.  They  are  generally  poor  reckoners,  and  one 
must  not  unfrequently  pay  them  more  than  they  claim  to 
give  them  their  legal  right.  This  settling  the  fare  by  law 
is  an  immense  saving  of  annoyance  and  disputes.  It  is 
good  policy  to  give  drink-money,  or  gratuities  to  your  post 
boys,  which  is  but  a  trifle — with  the  Norwegian  travellers, 
three  or  four  cents  ;  with  a  foreigner,  perhaps  double.  If 
he  gives  more  he  injures  other  travellers,  as  it  is  not  the 
custom  of  the  country. 

The  scenery  of  this  part  of  the  journey  is  very  fine — 
wide  views  over  deep  valleys,  and  dark  pine-covered  hills. 

At  the  station,  just  after  we  had  crossed  the  Orkel,  on 
the  summit  of  the  hill,  we  enjoyed  one  of  the  grandest 
views  on  the  whole  route.  An  immense  valley  opened 
below,  filled  with  sombre  pines,  and  in  the  midst  flowed 
a  calm,  dark  river,  while  beyond,  surge  upon  surge  of  the 
gloomy  hills  crossed  the  valley.  At  the  west  it  opened  into 
a  green  dell,  with  soft,  sloping  banks,  where  the  stream 
wound  through,  beautifully  gleaming.  A  rich  glow  of  light 
from  a  summer  sunset  poured  over  the  whole,  giving  a 
wonderful  glory  and  softness  to  what  would  have  beeu 
otherwise  only  a  grand  and  gloomy  scene. 


TKONDHJEM.  61 

We  were  delayed  now  at  each  station,  and  did  not  reach 
Garlie  (our  resting-place  for  the  night),  till  about  one 
o'clock.  But  there  was  no  darkness;  all  through  the  night, 
the  light  was  almost  as  it  is  with  us  on  a  cloudy  day. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day  from  leaving  Christiania, 
we  crossed  the  ridge  which  gave  us  the  first  view  of  TRONDS- 
JEM.  The  old  city  lay  below  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful 
Fiord,  with  the  Cathedral  towers  and  formal  houses  plainly 
to  be  seen,  the  shipping  and  steamers  in  front,  the  dark 
solitary  island  (Munkholm)  with  its  fort  in  the  harbour, 
and  a  long  stretch  on  each  side  of  the  arms  and  islets 
of  the  Fiord.  The  city  was  still  eight  or  ten  miles  away 
by  road,  and  the  worst  road  I  had  yet  seen.  After  a 
tedious  drive,  we  reached  the  old  fortifications  and  entered 
the  ancient  city.  Our  carrioles  rattled  up  the  broad,  paved 
streets,  lined  with  low,  neat  houses,  toward  the  Hotel  de 
belle.  Vue,  which  had  been  especially  recommended.  The 
city  is  a  quiet,  formal  town,  which  is  redeemed  from 
common-place  by  the  interesting  old  cathedral,  that  meets 
your  view  almost  everywhere.  The  shops  appear  all  like 
private  houses,  with  windows  high  from  the  ground,  to 
avoid  the  deep  snow  in  the  winter. 

We  were  soon  made  comfortable  in  our  hotel,  with  a  neat 
room  and  a  good  dinner,  and  I  sallied  out  to  see  the  city. 

There  is  little  to  interest  a  stranger  in  it,  except  its 
historic  associations,  as  the  ancient  Capital  of  Norway, 
and  its  cathedral.  This  last  is  a  most  remarkable  building, 
both  -for  its  mingling  of  styles,  its  union  of  different  ages 
and  schools,  and  the  massive  effect  of  the  whole  structure. 


62  THE    NOESE-FOLK. 

All  the  wealth  and  religious  feeling  of  Norway  cannot 
keep  it  in  repair,  and  the  mystery  is,  how  it  was  ever  built. 

The  two  aisles  are  in  the  purest  Byzantine,  and  the 
nave  in  the  Gothic.  The  most  delicate  and  graceful  part 
of  it  is  its  choir,  now  ornamented  with  Thorw aid  sen's  figure 
of  Christ ;  and  the  Apostles,  by  his  pupil  Bissen.  These, 
I  believe,  were  the  gift  of  Bernadotte.  The  interior  is 
disfigured  by  a  row  of  wooden  boxes,  built  up  on  the  sides 
of  the  nave,  like  the  boxes  of  a  theatre.  A  large  part 
of  the  nave  is  still  in  ruins. 

The  two  chapels  clinging  to  the  choir,  the  minaret-like 
spire  and  the  solid  tower,  the  exquisite  flower  capitals, 
and  the  grotesque  faces,  leave  a  strange  combination  of 
impressions  on  the  mind — of  the  Eastern  imagination,  and 
the  quaint  Gothic,  sardonic  earnestness  expressed  in  the 
singular  structure. 

Jum  — th,  1856. — I  was  amused  in  accompanying  a  gen 
tleman  to  call  upon  another,  to  see  him  put  on  a  sou'wester, 
as  if  it  was  the  customary  June  coat  for  Trondhjem.  The 
wind  felt  like  December  air.  Most  of  the  gentlemen  to  whom 
I  had  letters,  were  in  their  villas  in  the  country  at  this 
season.  I  visited  one  house,  well  known  to  travellers  for 
its  artistic  treasures  and  the  cultivated  host — that  of  Con 
sul  Knudtzen's.  He  has  several  of  the  most  famous  bas- 
reliefs  of  Thorwaldsen — his  brother  having  been  one  of 
the  first  friends  and  patrons  of  the  great  artist.  I  saw 
here  also  the  well-known  book  of  Miuutoli  on  the  Trondh 
jem  Cathedral. 


SCHOOLS.  63 

Trondhjem  has  a  number  of  Public  Schools,  as  well  as 
a  Real  School  or  academy,  a  Drawing-school  for  mechanics 
and  artisans,  and  an  Agricultural  School  in  the  country 
near  by.  I  attended  an  exhibition  in  the  Real  School, 
and  a  giving  of  prizes  for  scholarship  during  the  school- 
term.  The  teacher  of  English  was  very  polite  and  com 
municative,  and  gave  me  much  information  on  Norwegian 
Schools. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

«k 

TOWARD   THE    MIDNIGHT    SUN. 

A  TRIP  to  the  North  Cape,  even  in  July,  cannot  be  re 
commended,  unless  you  are  sure  of  the  weather.  To-day  is 
the  second  of  July,  and  the  wind,  which  cuts  across  the 
deck,  is  like  a  February  gale  in  America. 

We  left  Trondhjem,  or  Drontheim,  yesterday  in  one  of 
a  line  of  steamers  run  by  the  government  along  the  whole 
coast  from  Christiania  to  Hammerfest,  for  the  purpose 
of  carrying  the  mail  and  providing  a  connection  between  the 
different  parts  of  Norway.  The  prices  are  very  moderate, 
and  as  a  business  line  it  would  not  pay.  There  are  two  little 
cabins,  one  for  gentlemen  and  one  for  ladies,  and  a  small 
saloon  in  common.  The  rate  of  passage  is  fixed  at  twelve 
skillings  per  mile  (about  three  cents  an  English  mile) — 
wives  or  sisters,  in  company  with  a  gentleman,  being  charged 
half  price,  as  is  the  universal  custom  on  Norwegian  boats. 

Our  company  is  made  up  of  two  or  three  young  merchants 
returning  to  the  North  from  business  on  the  continent,  a 
young  Norwegian  gentleman  travelling  with  his  betrothed, 
a  young  lady  going  home  from  an  English  school,  one  or 
two  other  ladies,  one  German  artist,  one  English  'Squire, 

64 


COAST  SCENERY.  65 

and,  beside  ourselves,  an  American  gentleman,  with  his  wife 
and  servant.  On  the  front  deck  are  great  numbers  of  fish 
ermen's  wives  and  farmers^  coming  back  from  selling  their 
products  at  Trondhjem,  and  taking  their  sugar,  goods,  etc., 
to  the  Lofoden  Islands,  Tromso,  Hammerfest,  and  various, 
small  stations  on  the  north  coast  of  Norway.  Among 
them  are  three  Cambridge-men  from  England,  pedestrians 
and  sportsmen,  who  sleep  on  the  deck  under  their  blankets. 
The  weather  is  horrible — cold,  bleak,  with  occasional 
turns  of  driving  mist  and  rain,  almost  sleet — and  then  clear 
ing  up,  to  show  the  grand  and  gloomy  scenery.  We  are 
driving  on  through  narrow  Fiords,  or  arms  of  the  sea,  with 
grey,  bare  rocks,  twisted  and  broken  and  crumbled  as 
though  under  the  action  first  of  fire,  and  then  of  ages  of  the 
ocean  storms,  reaching  down  close  to  the  white  waves.  No 
houses  or  grass,  or  trees  are  visible  on  shore,  nor  sails  upon 
the  water.  Behind  the  first  ledges  the  land  sinks,  and  then 
rises  into  sharp,  jagged  mountain  peaks,  drifted  with  snow 
even  to  their  base,  and  wreathed  with  mist.  Large  white 
gulls  flutter  over  the  rocks,  and  now  and  then  the  eider- 
ducks  scud  off  just  on  the  surface  of  the  water  towards  the 
shore.  Now  as  I  write,  we  have  come  out  on  a  larger  bay, 
with  heavy  waves  rolling  in.  Rocky  islands  make  the  hori 
zon  seaward,  and  on  every  other  side  the  many  mountain- 
summits  rise.  We  steer  in  at  what  seems  an  unbroken 
dark  ledge  of  rocks,  but  as  we  approach,  a  channel  opens, 
and  beyond,  another  broad  sheet  of  water  appears,  sprinkled 
with  islands,  and  opening  into  innumerable  bays  and  armlets 
among  the  fissures  of  the  mountains.  There  is  no  soft,  sum- 


66  THENORSE-FOLK. 

mer  light,  no  gently  rounded  outline,  or  dreamy  perspective 
— it  is  all  stern,  harsh,  and  forbidding. 

TORGHATTAN. — One  of  the  most  remarkable  objects  we 
have  met,  is  an  island-peak — Torghattan — with  an  im 
mense  cavern  distinctly  visible  through  the  upper  part. 
Murray  says  "  large  enough  for  a  ship  to  go  through,"  but 
unfortunately  the  floor  must  be  a  hundred  feet  or  more  from 
the  water.  Forbes*  makes  the  peak  about  twelve  hundred 
feet  high,  and  the  cavern  is  estimated  here  as  large  as  a 
cathedral. 

Some  fishing  boats  have  just  crossed  our  bows — broad, 
uawieldy  things,  with  cod-fish  piled  half-way  up  the  mast 
like  hay,  and  with  one  large  square  sail,  which  is  reefed  by 
untying  and  separating  from  the  sail  successive  folds.  They 
have  very  high  stems  and  sterns  ;  it  seemed  to  me  the  old 
traditional  form  of  the  Viking  "  sea-dragons,"  as  pictures 
give  them.  Our  captain  says  they  are  excellent  sailers. 

We  have  just  passed  a  harbor  where  a  famous  old  Yiking, 
Harick,  had  his  nest.  It  seems  the  coast  to  breed  Vikings 
— the  sea-kings  and  pirate-conquerors  of  the  North.  The 
scenery  opens  now  more  grand  ;  the  mountains  are  massive 
at  the  base,  but  above  broken,  and  as  if  tossed  about  in  the 
wildest  confusion.  Peak  follows  peak  in  endless  succession 
and  form.  A  green  herbage  is  visible  on  the  lower  slopes^ 
probably  dwarf  birches  and  pines.  As  1  write,  the  fog  rises, 

*  Glaciers  of  Norway. 


THE   GiANT-KiDEK.  67 


and  the  sun,  near  the  edge  of  the  mountains,  at  eleven 
o'clock  at  night,  pours  a  golden  light  into  the  cabin. 

The  great  peculiarity  of  the  scenery  is  the  rounded 
smooth  character  of  the  hills  below,  while  the  peaks  rise 
in  abrupt  conical  or  jagged  summits  above  —  the  latter 
being,  perhaps,  a  volcanic  effect,  while  the  former  shows 
the  abrasion  of  the  immense  ice-floods  which  once  swept 
over  Norway. 

We  have  passed  the  "Seven  Sisters"  —  seven  stern,  weird- 
looking  peaks,*  that  seemed  to  reach  out  snowy  hands  to 
each  other,  and  whose  frosty  brows  lowered  on  us  as  though, 
according  to  the  Finnish  traditions,  they  were  the  spirits 
hostile  to  the  proud  conquering  races  who  had  invaded 
them. 

HESTEMANDOE. 

July  second.  —  We  have  just  passed  the  Arctic  circle,  at 
a  singular  island,  rising  in  the  form  of  a  giant  horseman 
from  the  waters.  The  back  of  his  mantle  is  the  mountain 
side,  and  the  crags  and  cliffs  make  the  horse's  head  and  ears, 
and  the  rider's  hand.  His  head  was  at  first  veiled  angrily 
in  mist  ;  but  as  we  passed,  a  whiff  carried  it  away,  and  a 
grand,  calm  face,  like  the  face  of  the  Sphynx,  stood  out, 
looking  solemnly  up  to  the  stormy  sky.  The  effect  was 
mysterious  and  wonderful.  These  high  peaks  are  great 
barometers  to  the  seamen,  and  one  can  imagine  how  many 
a  fisher-boat's  crew  has  watched  anxiously  and  supersti- 

*  Estimated  height,  four  thousand  feet,  —  Von  Buck. 


68  THENORSE-FOLK. 

tiously  the  head  of  the  giant  rider,  and,  though  Christian, 
has  muttered  a  prayer  against  Jumala  or  the  Trolls. 

The  legend  of  this  island  is,  that  a  giant  who  dwelt  on  it, 
shot  a  great  arrow  at  a  maiden  in  Lekoe  (eighty-eight  miles 
distant),  who  had  rejected  him.  The  arrow  passed  through 
Torghattan,  and  made  the  great  cave  or  fissure,  already 
mentioned,  and  thus  failed  of  reaching  the  maiden.  Both 
then  changed  each  other  to  stone,  and  must  so  remain  till 
doomsday. 

Thorpe  says  that  every  Nordlander  still  takes  off  his  hat, 
as  he  sails  by,  to  the  maid  of  Lekoe. 

We  are  winding  now  through  multitudes  of  islands  with 
occasional  little  stations,  which  consist  usually  of  a  large 
log-house,  with  a  Norwegian  flag  floating  above  it,  and  one 
or  two  smaller  houses,  sometimes  boarded  and  painted  red. 
The  roofs  are  frequently  grassed,  and  it  is  difficult  to  dis 
tinguish  them  from  the  green  slopes  which  form  the  foot  of 
the  mountains. 

Sometimes,  on  a  rocky  coast,  the  eye  wanders  over  the 
cliffs  for  a  long  distance,  without  noticing  these  little  brown 
cabins  planted  on  them.  The  channels  between  the  rocks 
are  occasionally  so  narrow,  that  the  steamer  is  compelled  to 
anchor,  and  swing  round  on  its  bows,  in  order  to  return. 
Last  night,  our  artist  and  the  ladies  were  on  the  constant 
lookout  for  the  "  midnight  sun,"  but  the  clouds  utterly 
obscured  the  view. 

The  thermometer  stands  at  thirty-five  degrees  (Fahren 
heit)  in  a  shelter,  and  continual  storms  of  cold  rain  or  mist 
sweep  over  our  course  ;  such  cold  and  gloom  at  this  season 


GLACIERS.  69 

are  almost  unknown.  The  farmers  on  board  say  it  has  done 
great  injury  to  the  crops.  The  artist  says,  "If  he  could 
only  have  good  butter,  he  should  not  care  for  the  weather  !" 
Every  one  is  shivering,  and  abusing  the  arctic  summer.  Yet 
there  is  something  in  these  sudden  wild  squalls,  and  the 
gloomy  mists  covering  and  revealing  the  wintry  snow-peaks, 
and  in  the  cold  grey  light,  well  suited  to  the  character  of 
the  coast — the  stern,  grand,  repelling  scenery. 

THE    FONDAL   GLACIERS. 

July  third. — To-night  I  was  called  up  to  see  a  grand 
scene.  A  wintry  gale  was  howling  over  the  ship,  and  to  the 
southward,  the  drifting  squalls  hid  every  thing  in  gloomy, 
driving  sleet  and  rain  ;  but  near  us,  on  our  quarter,  some 
peaks  arose  which  seemed  gigantic,  against  the  misty  back 
ground.  The  first  was  a  black,  massive  cliff,  rent  and 
fissured  and  with  twisted  strata  marked  plainly  on  its  side, 
jutting  with  deep  wall  against  the  sea  ;  behind  it,  and  fol 
lowing  the  line  of  the  coast,  were  several  peaks  of  pure 
snow,  whose  tops  in  the  storm  above  seemed  to  reach 
unknown  heights. 

The  snow  was  drifting  in  clouds  about  their  summits,  and 
yet  every  few  moments  admitting  a  perfectly  clear  view  into 
their  vast  solitudes,  so  that  what  seemed  tracks  were  visible 
down  the  sides.  As  the  mountains  opened  to  view,  glaciers 
appeared  between  them,  the  blue  ice  obtruding  through  the 
snow.  On  the  seaward  side  again,  the  cessation  of  the 
storm-gusts  showed  snow-peaks  and  black,  craggy  islands. 


70  -THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

It  seemed  the  rery  desolation  of  the  Icy  Ocean ;  or  as  if 
you  were  a  witness  of  the  action  of  the  most  gigantic 
powers  of  Nature,  in  the  antediluvian  solitude  and  chaos. 
You  shrink  away,  as  if  too  insignificant  amid  such  tremen 
dous  agencies. 

We  are  now  in  the  West  Fiord,  one  of  the  broadest  inlets 
on  the  coast,  and  near  the  famous  whirlpool. 

THE    MAELSTROM. 

I  quote  from  Yon  Buch's  description. 

"It  is  from  these  rapid  changes  and  agitations  that  the  West  Fiord 
is  so  dangerous  for  the  coasting  navigation.  The  Fiord  presses  like 
a  wedge  between  the  main  land  and  the  high  and  very  extensive 
islands  and  mountainous  range  of  Lofoden.  The  tide  surges  on 
at  the  same  time,  and  the  general  current  from  the  south  to  the 
northern  coasts.  The  narrow  sounds  between  the  islands  do  not 
afford  a  sufficiently  quick  passage  for  this  great  mass  of  water ;  the 
ebb  returns  like  a  cataract,  and  the  smallest  opposition  to  this 
motion,  such  as  south  winds,  occasions  immediately  broken  and  irre 
gular  waves.  A  stronger  wind,  which  drives  before  it  the  deep 
waves  of  the  sea,  sets  the  whole  Fiord  in  furious  commotion.  In 
all  the  sounds  between  the  island  of  Lofoden,  the  sea  flows  in  as 
in  the  strongest  and  most  rapid  rivers,  and  on  that  account  the 
outermost  bear  the  name  of  streams,  Grimstrom,  Napstrom,  Sund- 
gtro'm ;  and  wherever  the  fall  of  the  ebb  cannot  extend  through  such 
long  channels,  there  arises  an  actual  cataract ;  for  instance,  the 
well-known  Malstrom  at  Mosken  and  Varoe.  These  streams  and  this 
fall  change  their  direction,  therefore,  four  times  in  the  day,  as  the 
tide  or  ebb  drives  the  water  on ;  but  the  Malstrom  is  peculiarly 
dangerous  and  terrible  to  look  at,  when  the  northwest  wind  blows 


THELOFFODENS.  71 

in  opposition  to  the  ebbing.  We  then  see  waves  struggling  against 
waves,  towering  aloft,  or  wheeling  about  in  whirlpools.  We  hear 
the  dashing  and  roaring  of  the  waves  for  many  miles  out  at  sea. 
But  in  summer  these  violent  winds  do  not  prevail ;  and  the  stream 
is  then  little  dreaded,  and  does  not  prevent  the  navigation  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Vardoe  and  Moskenoe.  The  desire  to  see  here  some 
thing  extraordinary  and  great  is  therefore  generally  disappointed  ; 
for  travellers,  for  the  sake  of  travelling,  venture  up  Xorway  in  sum 
mer  only,  and  seldom  in  winter." 

All  the  descriptions  I  heard  from  the  Norwegians  familiar 
with  the  coast  confirmed  this  account.  At  high  and  low 
tide  the  "Mill-stream"  is  perfectly  safe;  only  at  the  ebb 
is  it  at  all  perilous.  Its  latitude  is  about  68°. 

Our  "Fourth"  was  passed  in  snow-storms  near  some 
of  the  most  imposing  scenes  of  the  voyage — the  Lofoden 
Islands. 

We  celebrated  it  by  a  good  dinner,  and  one  American 
treated  the  whole  forward  deck  to  a  kind  of  root  and 
ginger-beer  of  the  country.  A  Negro — an  American — 
passed  it  around,  and  was  as  enthusiastic — poor  fellow  ! — 
as  any  one  for  the  day  of  American  Liberty.  This  Negro 
is  much  looked  up  to  by  the  deck-passengers,  as  a  sort 
of  mysterious  Oriental  personage. 

The  peaks  of  the  Lofodens  rise  like  volcanic  summits 
with  the  most  sharp  and  jagged  outlines.  The  panorama 
of  snowy  needle-like  peaks  from  one  point  is  wonderful. 
One  writer  compares  them  to  the  teeth  of  a  shark  ;  another 
to  vertebrae.  They  are  red  granite  cliffs,  protruded  as  if 


72  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

by  fearful  volcanic  power,  about  four  thousand  feet  in 
height,  and  with  glaciers  and  snowy  valleys  among  them. 
Forbes*  says  the  line  of  this  semi-circle  of  mountain-sum 
mits  reaches  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  and  in  one 
point,  they  occupy  a  third  of  the  horizon. 

Our  steamer  went  far  out  of  its  regular  course  to  visit 
these  islands. 

Here  is  the  centre  of  the  great  business  of  the  north  of 
Norway — the  cod-fishery.  It  employs  now  probably  from 
twenty-four  thousand  to  twenty-five  thousand  men,  and  has 
a  capital  engaged  of  three  or  four  millions  of  dollars.  The 
fishing  is  carried  on  near  these  islands,  from  February  to 
the  end  of  May  ;  then  it  removes,  for  a  few  months,  to  the 
northernmost  coast,  for  another  variety. 

The  men  engaged  are  the  most  bold,  hardy  sailors  exist 
ing,  and  are  subject  to  great  privations.  We  have  just 
entered  a  harbor,  and  the  captain  says  that  sometimes  a 
storm  will  sweep  these  boats  right  from  their  anchors  into 
the  open  Fjord.  Last  year,  twelve  were  thus  carried  out 
and  wrecked.  The  business  is  not  as  once,  merely  an 
exchange  of  the  fish  for  provisions— thereby  giving  the 
fishermen  no  chance  for  saving  money — but  is  a  regular 
cash-trade  with  the  Bergen  and  Trondhjem  merchants. 
There  are  two  modes  of  curing  the  fish — one  by  cutting  it, 
like  our  cod,  into  halves,  and  hanging  it  over  sticks  to  dry 
(this  is  called  stock-fish)  ;  the  other,  by  packing  in  heaps 
and  drying  them  'on  the  rocks.  These  little  heaps  you  see 
all  along  the  coast. 

*  Glaciers  of  Norway. 


A  LAPP.  73 


THE    LAPPS. 

"  A  Lapp  !  a  Lapp  !"  We  all  rushed,  helter-skelter,  on 
deck,  to  see  the  first  specimen  we  had  yet  met.  "  Which 
is  he  ?  Which  one  ?"  There  is  no  mistaking.  A  broad, 
brown  Jace,  with  high  cheek-bones,  and  half-frightened 
expression  ;  the  hair  long  and  light,  eyes  blue,  forehead 
common,  and  nose  mean.  His  cap  rises  straight  from  his 
forehead,  with  a  bright  red  band  around  it ;  he  wears  a 
woollen  blouse,  with  red  fringes  at  the  wrists,  blue  trowsers, 
tied  with  red  bands  at  the  ankles,  and  great  turned-up 
shoes — in  the  lower  part  somewhat  a  Chinese  costume. 
"  The  shoes  are  packed  with  dried  grass,  beaten  down,  to 
make  them  soft,"  says  the  captain.  An  old  woman  is  with 
him,  also  with  high  cap,  with  red  band  ;  but  her  face  is 
much  darker,  her  eyes  small  and  black,  with  a  Mongolian 
cast. 

"  There  they  are,  at  dinnner  !"  The  old  woman  has 
pulled  out  a  large  cake,  like  an  immense  buckwheat-cake  in 
appearance,  which  she  eats  with  cheese.  Edward,  the  col 
ored  man,  of  course,  gets  into  a  talk  with  them,  as  he  does 
with  every  body,  though  how  he  makes  himself  understood, 
is  an  inscrutable  mystery.  He  says  the  cheese  is  not  rein 
deer  cheese,  and  that  the  cake  is  rye-bread. 

This  person  is  not  a  Lapp,  probably,  but  a  "  Sea-Finn  "- 
one  of  those  who  live  near  the  shore,  and  have  settled  habi 
tations.     The  "  Mountain-Finn"  lives  a  wandering  life,  with 
his  reindeer     We  see  the  huts  of  the  former  now  on  every 

4 


74  THENOKSE-FOLK. 

Fiord.  The  "  Quens,"  of  whom  we  hear  a  great  deal  now, 
as  we  go  farther  north,  are  the  inhabitants  of  Russian  Fin 
land,  a  larger  and  handsomer  race  than  the  Finns  and 
Lapps. 

I  have  conversations  continually  with  the  Norwegians, 
on  their  dealings  with  the  Finns.  They  deny  all  oppres 
sion  or  wrong  on  their  part,  and  describe  these  tribes  as 
hopelessly  inferior  and  ignorant.  Still  the  fact  remains, 
that  the  Finns,  like  our  Indians,  have  lost  their  old  habita 
tions  ;  and  that  the  conquering  race  have  done,  till  lately, 
very  little  for  their  improvement.  A  singular  movement 
has  commenced  within  a  few  years  among  them,  of  which  I 
cannot  as  yet  speak  with  confidence.  It  began  with  terrible 
outrages,  and  fanaticisms  ;  the  murder  of  the  sheriff  of  the 
district,  and  an  attempt  to  offer  a  Protestant  clergyman  as 
a  bloody  sacrifice  to  God — the  poor  creatures  believing 
themselves  acting  under  divine  inspiration.  They  were 
punished  ;  and  since  that  time,  under  the  influence  of 
Swedish  missionaries,  the  religious  excitement  has  taken  a 
more  healthy  direction. 

My  friends  speak  of  it  as  merely  a  "  fanaticism  ;"  but,  by 
their  own  confession,  it  has  driven  out  intoxication  from 
among  these  tribes,  which  had  prevailed  before  to  a  fearful 
extent,  and  the  results  seem  to  be  of  a  sound,  rational 
nature.  They  are  represented  as  deeply  attached  to  the 
Bible,  but  not  so  much  revering  Luther  ;  as  very  correct 
and  pure  in  their  lives,  speaking  with  much  feeling  of  their 
religious  hope,  but  believing  in  an  inner  inspiration  in  each 
man's  heart.  Even  the  magistrates  allow  a  great  change 


ETHNOLOGY.  Y5 

in  the  general  morality  of  the  Finns  and  Lapps,  since  the 
"  revival  movements." 

It  will  give  an  idea  of  the  proportion  of  these  tribes  to 
the  Norwegians*  in  Finnmark,  to  give  the  statistics  of  a 
single  parish  in  this  neighborhood,  furnished  me  by  a  clergy 
man  on  board — that  of  Lyngen :  Normans  or  Norwegians, 
614  ;  Quaens,  721  ;  Finns,  1,601.  Of  these,  the  mingled 
races  are — from  Norwegians  and  Quens,  92  ;  from  Quens 
and  Finns,  119  ;  from  Norwegians  and  Finns,  T — this  last 
giving  an  excellent  instance  of  the  affinities  between  the 
two  races,  as  compared  with  those  of  either  to  the  Russian 
Quaens. 

The  Quaens,  or  Finns  from  Finland,  are  a  tall,  well-made 
race,  and  do  not  at  all  resemble  the  Norwegian  Finns  or 
Lapps.  They  are  agricultural,  and  the  Lapps  nomadic. 
Yon  Buch  dates  their  entrance  into  Norway,  only  to  the 
time  of  Charles  XII. 

With  regard  to  the  relation  and  ethnology  of  these  tribes, 
there  may  be  some  confusion  of  ideas,  owing  to  the  confu 
sion  of  terms  applied  to  them  among  the  Norwegians  them 
selves.  We  hear  of  Finns,  of  Lapps,  of  Quaens  or  Kvens,f 
and  Russian  Finns.  All  these  really  belong  to  but  one 
great  family — the  Tsjudes — and  divide  themselves  into  two 

*  Lallerstedt  makes  the  number  of  Finns  in  Norwegian  Finmark, 
6,000;  of  Lapps,  13,000;  of  Norwegians,  25,000. — La  Scandinavie, 
ses  Esperances,  &c.,  p.  1. 

f  The  English  word  queen  is  allied — this  country  of  Finland,  having 
formerly  been  supposed  to  be  the  country  of  the  Amazons,  or  of 
women,  and  thus  called  queen-land,  or  Kvenaland. 


76  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

branches,  the  Polar  people,  or  the  Finns  and  Laps,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  Russian  Finland,  or  the  Qudns,  formerly 
called  Suomi.  *  The  Tsjudes  are  a  great  Asiatic  race, 
allied  to  the  Mongolians,  who  have  covered  the  Northern 
and  Northeastern  provinces  of  Europe.  They  form  the 
under-stratum  in  Russia,  especially  in  Archangel  and  the 
provinces  near  St.  Petersburg,  but  are  utterly  different  both 
from  the  Sclavic  and  the  Germanic  families.  They  divide 
themselves,  according  to  Prof.  Rask,  into  three  great 
branches,  of  which  it  is  only  necessary  here  to  mention  the 
Finnish. 

One  of  these  branches  includes  also  the  Madjars,  or  Hun 
garians. 

The  Finnish  branch,  beside  the  two  divisions  mentioned 
above,  has  a  third,  not  important  in  this  connection.  The 
languages  of  the  Polar  Finns  and  the  Russian  Finns,  or 
Quaens,  differ  as  much  as  the  German  and  Danish,  so  that 
the  two  peoples  do  not  understand  each  other.  The  language 
of  Russian  Finland  is  the  only  cultivated  Finnish  tongue, 
having  its  own  literature.  The  people  also  are  far  superior 
physically,  to  their  relations  of  the  West. 

Prof.  Munck  f  limits  the  proper  Finnish  territory  as  fol 
lows  : — "  It  is  bordered  toward  the  east  by  a  semi-circle,  or 
a  third  of  a  circle,  from  the  Gulf  of  Livonia  to  the  Western 
part  of  the  White  Sea,  and  towards  the  west,  by  a  similar 
curved  line,  from  Malanger  in  Finmark  to  Umala  on  the 
Gulf  of  Bothnia." 

*Prof.  Munck. 

f  Norsk  t  Maanedskrift,  1st  Hefte. 


A     LEGEND.  77 

We  have  just  passed  Senjen,  a  remarkable  island.  The 
legend  related  of  it  is  characteristic  : 

THE     GI  A  NT. 

In  ancient  times,  when  the  holy  St.  Olaf  came  to  instruct 
the  Norwegians  in  the  faith  of  "  The  white  Christ,"  and  to 
plant  the  cross  on  the  heathen  altars,  he  found  his  efforts 
much  impeded  by  the  terrible  monsters,  that  still  inhabited 
the  mountains  and  the  desolate  rocks  on  the  coast.  Among 
these  monsters  was  a  giant  Senjemanden,  who  lived  in  this 
island  of  Senjen.  This  giant  threatened  often  vengeance 
against  the  strange  God,  who  was  about  to  drive  him  from 
his  old  dominions  ;  but  he  was  most  of  all  enraged  at  the 
pious  chantings  of  a  nun,  who  lived  on  the  island  of  Gryto. 
These  devout  melodies  would  sometimes  make  him  howl  with 
rage  and  pain.  Happily  for  the  holy  nun,  his  attention 
became  occupied  at  this  time  with  quite  different  subjects.  In 
the  interior  of  Kvedfjord,  in  a  beautiful  green  valley  near  the 
Fjord,  lived  a  Jutuljente,  or  daughter  of  a  giant,  who  was 
wonderfully  rich.  Her  bulls  and  black  cows  pastured  the 
hills  by  the  hundreds  ;  her  flocks  of  goats  swarmed  over  the 
mountains  ;  her  sheep,  fat  and  soft-fleeced,  fed  in  the  long 
grass  of  the  valleys  ;  she  had  numbers  of  hens  who  layed 
their  eggs  continually  ;  eider-ducks  on  her  rocks,  who  gave 
her  soft  covering  ;  reindeer  on  the  mainland,  who  drew 
her  in  winter  over  the  snows  and  ice.  In  her  home  she  pos 
sessed  great  drinking-horns  of  gold,  and  cups  of  silver  ;  and 
every  one  of  her  twelve  dogs  had  a  collar  of  silver.  She  had 
much  riches  beside,  of  which  nobody  knew  ;  for  it  is  well 


78  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

known  that  the  Jutuls,  however  much  they  have,  always 
desire  to  conceal  it,  and  to  have  more.  The  giant  Senje- 
inand,  though  he  was  old  and  horribly  ugly,  was  so 
dazzled  by  all  these  riches,  that  he  resolved  to  win  the 
the  daughter  of  the  giant  to  marriage.  He  commenced  by 
addressing  her  in  his  softest  tones,  but  even  then,  they 
sounded  like  summer  thunder,  and  could  be  heard  much  far 
ther  than  in  her  island,  though  that  was  twenty-four  miles 
away.  The  Jutul-maiden  was  not  a  beauty,  and  had  no 
inclination  to  perpetual  virginity,  but  she  could  not  bear  the 
addresses  of  Senjemand.  He  was  too  awkward  and  heavy, 
and  his  education  had  been  too  much  neglected  in  his  associ 
ation  with  mermaids  and  sea-monsters,  and  such  like  crea 
tures,  so  she  answered  in  good  Norse  verse — 

"Miserable  Senjemand — ugly  and  grey  ! 
Thou  win  the  maid  of  Kvedfjord ! 
No — a  churl  thou  art,  and  shalt  ever  remain  !" 

Whereupon  the  Senjemand  gnashed  his  teeth,  and  in  his 
rage,  fitted  a  stone  arrow  to  his  bow,  and  shot  it  at  the 
maiden.  The  arrow  passed  right  through  Toppen,  and  split- 
it  from  top  to  bottom.  At  this  very  moment,  the  nun  hap 
pened  to  be  out  of  doors,  engaged  in  her  morning  orisons  ; 
she  was  so  frightened  at  the  fearful  crashing  of  the  arrow 
through  the  cliff,  that  she  was  changed  to  stone,  where  she 
still  stands.  The  arrow  was  turned  aside  by  this  obstacle 
of  the  'cliff,  and  struck  the  mountain  Elgen,  on  the 
island  Hindo,  where  it  may  be  still  seen.  The  Jntul- 
maiden,  in  her  fear,  was  seeking  to  flee  away  on  her  horse, 


ALEGEND.  79 

but  was  changed  by  the  magical  arts  of  the  giant  to  stone, 
with  her  horse  and  saddle.  The  mountain  Sadkn  (saddle) 
is  still  to  be  seen. 

The  wicked  giant  himself  also  became  stone  from  his  own 
rage,  and  he  is  so  terrible,  that  no  grass  or  shrub  will  grow 
upon  him.  He  is  still  shown  as  a  warning  in  the  Senjen 
Island. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FINMARK     AND     ALTEN. 

OUR  boat — the  Prinds  Gustav — is  a  very  pleasant,  though 
a  small  one,  and  we  enjoy  the  trip  as  we  approach  the  North 
more  and  more.  The  captain  is  a  gentleman,  an  officer  of 
the  navy,  speaking  English  very  well.  The  cooking  is  admi 
rable  and  the  prices  are  all  low.  Our  party  is  just  large 
enough  not  to  inconvenience  each  other,  and  still  to  have  a 
good  time.  We  stop  at  every  small  station,  and  are  to 
remain  nearly  a  day  at  the  towns  or  important  places. 

People  constantly  come  on  board  and  leave  us  again — 
generally  government  officers,  and  tradesmen,  and  clergymen. 
My  American  friend,  Mr.  L.,  says  "he  can  always  distin 
guish  a  Norwegian  clergyman  now  by  his  weight  !"  They 
are  evidently  the  country  'squires  and  landlords,  and  not 
peculiarly  ascetic  in  habits.  Their  duties  seem  to  range 
from  those  of  magistrates,  office-holders  and  clergymen  to 
the  taking  of  census  and  numbering  of  cattle.  One  on 
board  says,  he  must  give  to  the  government  a  complete 
return  of  all  the  population  and  property — even  of  every 
horse,  cow  or  goat  in  his  parish. 

Among  our  passengers  we  take  many  ladies,  who  are  going 

80 


LADY-TRAVELLEKB.  81 

short  distances  :  all  have  comical  little  wooden  bandboxes 
calculated  to  try  the  Christian  disposition  of  Norwegian  hus 
bands.  Some  are  unique  in  dress  :  the  most,  however,  Eu 
ropean  in  costume  and  rather  pleasant  in  appearance,  with 
out  being  pretty.  Our  ladies  have  fastened  upon  one  tall, 
serious,  half  depressed  looking  woman  of  sweet  manner,  as 
the  original  for  the  heroine  in  Afraja — sensible  and  devout, 
but  without  doubt  about  to  be  sacrificed  by  a  tyrannical 
father  to  some  suitor  whom  she  does  not  love,  a  thing,  we 
hear,  not  altogether  confined  to  fiction  in  Norway.  She  has 
just  left  at  a  little  fishing-station,  whence  a  strong-manned 
boat  pulled  out  to  take  her.  They  watched  her  depart, 
sadly. 

There  is  an  old  Lapp-woman  on  the  forward  deck,  who 
might  well  do  for  one  of  the  witches  in  Miigge's  story.  She 
has  been  released  from  the  prison  in  Trondhjem.  Her  face 
looks  like  the  lowest  style  of  Indian  faces — with  a  sly,  be 
sotted,  murderous  expression.  She  sleeps  in  all  weathers 
under  her  blanket  by  the  side  of  the  funnel,  and  speaks  to 
no  one — even  Edward  can  not  open  communications  with 
her. 

In  our  part  of  the  ship,  there  is  a  constant  warfare  going 
on  between  the  American  ladies  and  the  Norwegian  on  the 
subject  of  the  only  window  of  their  little  cabin.  There  seems 
to  be  a  strong  constitutional  objection  on  the  part  of  the 
Norwegians  to  fresh  air  ;  and  however  many  crowd  into  the 
little  room,  the  window  must  at  once  be  shut.  From  the 
intimations  of  our  ladies,  we  should  gather  also  that  the 
Norwegian  female  travellers  are  anything  but  delicate  in 

4* 


82  THE    NORSK-FOLK. 

their  curiosity  either  in  strangers'  affairs  or  property.  Still, 
if  there  is  anything  one  learns  from  travelling,  it  is,  not  to 
judge  of  a  people  alone  from  its  travelling  population. 

A  great  want  of  attention  to  women  is  very  marked  here. 
They  are  bundled  into  boats,  or  shoved  out  of  them  like 
packages — and  need  strong  arms  and  much  resolution  some 
times  to  avoid  accidents. 

The  worst  travelling  habit  in  Norway,  is  the  disgusting 
spitting.  I  thought  America  had  reached  the  lowest  grade 
of  nauseating  vulgarity  in  that  respect — but  it  is  worse  here. 
The  decks  are  clammy  with  it.  And  now  that  I  am  grum 
bling,  I  may  go  on  to  say,  that  of  all  European  countries,  it 
is  the  worst  for  fleas.  Even  Italy  is  not  so  tormenting. 
The  country  people  are  usually  excessively  filthy  in  their 
habits,  and  most  of  the  inns  are  merely  their  houses,  pro 
vided  with  an  extra  bed-room.  In  Sweden  or  in  Hungary, 
where  the  country  inns  are  dirty  and  disagreeable,  there  is 
so  much  hospitality  that  in  your  pleasant  quarters  in  gentle 
men's  houses,  you  forget  the  filthy  character  of  the  hotels 
and  taverns.  Here,  where  the  travel  is  too  much  to  allow 
of  more  hospitality  than  is  customary  in  civilized  and 
crowded  countries,  you  feel  the  full  effects  of  the  quality  of 
the  public  accommodations.  Still  all  these  are  trifling,  com 
pared  with  the  enjoyments  and  physical  benefits  from  a  Nor 
wegian  tour. 

We  are  now  in  the  region  of  perpetual  daylight,  though 
bad  weather  has  prevented  a  good  view  of  the  "  midnight 
sun." 

This  unceasing  day  gives  a  new  sensation,  worth  coining 


THE  PERPETUAL  DAY.  83 

to  Norway  to  feel.  It  is  difficult  to  describe.  You  are 
at  first  struck  with  the  strangeness  of  Nature — the  silence, 
and  the  unnatural  light.  You  feel  as  if  something  unusual 
was  about  to  happen.  After  a  time  you  become  more 
accustomed  to  the  day,  and  lose  the  sense  of  division  of 
time.  The  sensation  is  of  perpetuity,  of  unlimited  activity, 
of  a  Nature  working  without  rest,  or  change,  or  shadow. 

It  is  exciting,  stimulating,  and  cheerful ;  but  probably 
if  enjoyed  long,  wearisome. 

Finmark. — As  we  enter  the  Fimnark  Amt,  the  aspect 
of  the  coast  becomes  even  more  volcanic,  with  the  sharp 
acuminated  summits,  and  the  contorted  strata. 

In  one  place,  the  curved  or  curling  lines  of  rock  melted 
by  fire,  would  have  struck  the*  most  ignorant  beholder, 
even  a  quarter-mile  away.  We  saw,  in  several  instances, 
precipices  with  grey  limestone  above,  and  some  granitic 
formation  below.  Of  all  countries,  this  must  be  the  favorite 
for  a  geologist.  It  is  evident  that  two  of  the  greatest 
agencies  of  Nature  in  continent-making — volcanic  fire  and 
ice  floods — have  been  in  tremendous  action  over  the  Nor 
wegian  coast. 

TROMSO'E. 

We  came  on  the  deck  of  our  steamer  on  the  morning 
of  the  5th  of  July,  and  found  ourselves  in  what  seemed 
a  mountain-lake,  with  the  little  red-roofed  town  of  Tromsoe 
on  the  borders.  A  brisk  snow-storm  was  blowing,  so  as 
almost  to  hide  the  giant  snow-peaks  at  one  end  of  the 


84  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

bay,  the  other  was  shut  in  by  green  slopes,  with  heavy 
masses  of  snow  lying  close  on  the  grass.  The  town  is  on 
an  island  and  sheltered  from  the  sea  by  a  larger  island, 
Kvalo,  though  this  does  not  at  all  appear  from  the  water. 
It  shows  a  number  of  substantial  wooden  ware-houses,  and 
we  could  see  some  dwelling-houses  of  a  very  respectable 
size.  The  green  grass  roofs  of  the  fishermen's  cottages 
made  the  outskirts.  We  were  soon  on  shore,  and  wandering 
about  the  town,  picking  some  old  friends  among  the  flowers 
— butter-cups  and  violets  from  a  grave-yard  in  one  quarter. 
Every  hut  had  flowers  in  the  windows.  The  air  was  cold 
and  wintry.  We  took  breakfast  in  a  miserable  dirty  inn. 
At  a  later  hour,  we  called  on  a  number  of  persons  to 
whom  we  had  letters — the  Amtmand  (magistrate)  of  the 
two  districts  of  Finmark,  By-Foged  (sheriff),  and  others. 

In  one  house,  I  had  a  conversation  with  a  very  intelligent 
young  pastor,  on  the  new  religious  "  movement."  Like 
almost  every  person  here,  he  spoke  English.  "  I  speak  but 
imperfectly  English,"  said  he,  "but  I  shall  be  happy  to 
tell  you  of  these  peoples.  They  call  themselves  opvakte,  or 
awakened,  and  they  believe  themselves  to  have  alone  the 
truth  of  the  Bible.  They  are  against  the  ordinances — 
the  daub — what  is  it?  child-baptism — for  they  say,  no 
one  should  be  baptist  without  his  own  will,  and  that  they 
do  have  now  the  best  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And 
so  of  the  what  call  you  it  ?  the  priest's  clothes  and  cere 
mony,  and  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  which  is  spoken  out  by 
the  clergyman.  They  be  also  opposed  to  amusements,  the 
the  musique  and  dance,  and  to  brant  vein  (brandy).  Some 


THE   AWAKENED.  85 

of  them  have  burned  their  pianofortes,  but  the  most  are  too 
poor  to  have  any  such.  They  always  bring  out  texts  from 
the  Bible,  and  say  they  have  the  true  understanding  of 
it.  One  must  confess  they  show  much  moralsk  (moral) 
iu  their  lives.  They  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
office  church— what  is  it  in  English  ?"  "  State  Church.'7 
"Yes!  they  have  removed  themselves  entirely,  here  in 
Tromsb'e,  to  the  number  of  forty-six,  but  I  believe  they 
come  again.  It  will  pass  forby." 

"  Do  they  believe  as  you  do,  in  Christ  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  certainly,  in  nothing  so  much." 

I  asked  about  their  leaders.  The  clergyman  thought 
they  scarcely  had  any.  Pastor  Lommers  of  Skien,  was 
a  prominent  clergyman  among  them,  who  had  just  aban 
doned  his  place  in  the  National  Church.  The  most,  he 
said,  were  led  by  people  of  their  own  sort,  who  pretended 
to  especial  inspiration.  "They  claim,  you  know,  also,  to 
be  sinless." 

While  conversing,  a  physician  came  in,  who  belonged 
to  the  new  sect,  and  we  had,  after  a  short  time,  a  con 
versation  in  German  together  on  the  subject. 

He  was  guarded  in  his  expressions,  but  in  his  view 
the  movement  was  "  a  struggle  for  Apostolic  Christianity." 
"We  do  not  find,"  he  said,  "in  the  New  Testament, 
that  the  clergymen  should  be  chosen  by  the  government 
authorities,  and  that  he  should  have  so  much  money,  and 
wear  such  and  such  clothes  in  the  church.  We  believe 
'  confirmation '  is  altogether  a  matter  of  the  heart,  and 
not  to  be  fixed  bv  law.  Our  efforts,  mein  Herr,  ivS  after 


86 


a  life  more  impressed  with  religion  ;  we  think  each  man 
can  have  a  divine  light  within  him." 

I  asked  about  Baptism  and  the  Communion.  "  Yes,"  he 
said,  "  we  believe  that  only  old  persons  should  be  baptized  ; 
and  that  the  great  thing  is,  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit."  The 
Communion,  he  said,  they  wished  made  a  thing  for  the  soul 
only,  and  not  a  requisition. 

Of  amusements,  his  own  feeling  was,  that  a  redeemed 
person  would  have  no  taste  for  them  ;  still,  they  left  that 
to  the  conscience  of  each  one.  Of  their  alleged  belief  in 
perfection,  he  denied  that  they  ever  supposed  themselves  to 
have  attained  to  a  sinless  state.  "  The  main  thing  in  it  all, 
sir,  is  what  you  in  America  will  understand  —  we  want  the 
Church  utterly  kept  apart  from  the  State." 

It  would  be  presumptuous  in  me,  as  yet,  to  give  a  judg 
ment  on  this  remarkable  religious  movement.  But  from  all 
evidence  thus  far,  I  fully  believe  it  is  a  natural  vigorous  pro 
test  against  the  State  Church,  accompanied,  of  course,  with 
much  fanaticism.  It  should  be  remembered,  in  Norway 
every  clergyman  is  an  officeholder,  paid  by  the  government. 
Confirmation  —  church-membership  —  is  a  condition  of  citizen 
ship,  fixed  by  law  at  a  certain  age  and  after  a  certain  degree 
of  knowledge.  That  is,  no  one  can  hold  a  public  office  or 
receive  a  license,  or  be  entitled  to  the  fullest  protection  of 
the  Norwegian  laws,  without  possessing  a  certificate  that  he 
has  been  religiously  confirmed  in  a  certain  church  or  parish. 
To  enlarge  on  the  fatal  effects  of  such  a  mingling  of  the 
religious  and  the  political,  is  not  necessary  to  the  American 
public. 


CLERGYMEN'S    SALARIES.  87 

The  clergymen  seem  very  well  paid  throughout  the  coun 
try,  and  generally  have  the  best  farms  along  the  road.  In 
this  town  of  Tromsoe,  containing  perhaps  three  thousand 
five  hundred  inhabitants,  with  the  universal  cheapness  of 
every  thing,  the  pastor  has  a  salary  of  two  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars,  and  his  house.  The  salary  is  made  up 
somewhat  singularly.  Twenty  dollars  of  it  are  from  the 
eider-down*  furnished  by  a  certain  island  in  the  neighbor 
hood.  Four  hundred  dollars  come  from  lands,  let  out  to 
farmers  in  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  which  belong  to  the 
pastorate  :  the  rest  is  paid  by  the  parish  and  the  State. 
Among  other  fees,  the  pastor  has  a  fixed  one  for  every  bap 
tism  and  marriage  and  funeral.  In  the  fishing  districts, 
near  the  Lofodens,  it  is  the  custom  for  each  fisherman  to 
contribute  a  proportion  of  his  fish,  if  the  catch  is  lucky,  so 
that  in  a  good  season  the  pastor  will  have  three  hundred  or 
four  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  fish  added  to  his  salary. 

I  went  with  a  friend  to  visit  the  church  of  the  village.  It 
is  a  log  building,  boarded,  and  painted  red.  The  interior 
has  the  usual  division  into  four  equal  parts,  by  one  portion 
of  the  building  crossing  the  other  in  the  centre  at  right 
angles. 

The  altar  is  separated  by  a  railing  from  the  church  ;  a 
picture  of  Christ  was  behind  it,  and  candles  before.  The 
floor  within  was  strewn  with  juniper  twigs,  for  the  odor. 

The  seats  in  the  body  of  the  church  were  ugly  wooden 
seats,  and  the  walls  were  occupied  with  three  tiers  of 
unpainted  little  boxes,  like  opera-boxes,  for  the  better 

*  The  down  sells  here  at  two  dollars  a  pound. 


88  THE    J 

classes.  The  pulpit  was  on  one  of  the  angles  of  the  nave 
and  transept.  The  house  was  never  warmed,  they  said. 
Above  the  altar,  hung  two  little  ships-of-war,  complete  in 
all  equipments,  such  as  one  sees  sometimes  in  a  marine 
insurance-lawyer's  office,  for  models  to  use  in  court.  I 
asked  the  meaning  of  this  singular  custom,  which  is  quite 
common  in  Norway. 

"  It  betokens  the  sailing  of  the  soul  away  to  heaven,"  my 
friend  answered. 

Another  explanation  is,  that  the  first  church  of  the 
Northmen  was  an  inverted  boat ;  and  hence,  through  all 
the  Teutonic  branches,  the  name  for  the  principal  aisle  of 
the  church  became  ship*  or  nave. 


Two  Russian  vessels  are  lying  in  the  harbor,  with  meal. 
The  men  were  walking  about  in  the  town.  They  were 
much  better-looking  persons  than  the  Norwegian  sailors, 
with  regular  features,  and  full  beard  and  moustaches.  They 
seemed  to  me  to  have  a  certain  peculiar  gravity  and  dignity 
for  people  of  their  class.  Probably  something  of  the  con 
sciousness  of  a  great  nation  comes  down  even  to  the  lowest, 

Russia  has  a  considerable  trade  with  this  town. 

I  walked  out  in  the  afternoon  on  the  hills  behind  the 
city.  Here  the  Tromsoe  citizens  of  wealth  have  erected 
villas  to  escape  the  heats  of  the  summer,  and  to  enjoy  the 
wide  landscape.  It  was  the  day  after  the  Fourth,  so  my 
New-York  friends  will  remember  its  temperature.  I  had 

*  Tn  German,  Schiff ;  Norwegian  and  Danish,  Skib. 


ARCTIC   VILLAS.  89 

two  overcoats  on,  but  could  hardly  keep  warm  with  walk 
ing,  and  was  half  blinded  by  the  snow-squalls.  One  gentle 
man  has  a  kind  of  Chinese  villa,  with  pretty  gravelled 
walks  about  it,  laid  out  among  trees,  which  from  the  water 
seem  a  grove  of  fruit  and  shade  trees,  and  with  fountains 
and  summer-houses.  A  green  lawn  runs  down  from  one 
side  of  the  house,  with  flowers  in  the  grass.  There  was 
something  almost  touching  in  this  effort  for  summer.  The 
only  trees  that  would  grow  there,  were  the  dwarf  birch  ; 
the  snow  yet  lay  deep  at  the  foot  of  the  lawn  ;  and  the 
only  flowers  were  the  sweet  Arctic  flora,  which  winter  can 
not  drive  away,  the  yellow  ranunculus  ;  the  wild  violet,  here 
almost  yellow ;  the  pink  heather  blossom  ;  the  white  multi- 
berry  flower,  and  our  unfailing  friends,  the  butter-cup  and 
dandelion.  Otherwise  no  shrub  or  fruit  or  vegetable — 
even  potatoes  can  hardly  endure  the  climate.  The  view 
from  the  summer-houses  was  the  usual  grand,  desolate,  Nor 
wegian  scenery  of  this  latitude,  mighty  snow-peaks  of  jag 
ged  outline  running  down  into  dark,  broken,  twisted  rock- 
bases,  with  broad  reaches  of  water,  gloomily  hidden  or 
suddenly  revealed  in  the  scurrying  snow-squalls  sweeping 
across  it. 

THE    LYNGEN    FIORD. 

The  Lyngen  Fiord  attracted  my  attention,  as  we  sailed 
on  from  Tromsoe,  from  its  mention  in  Miigge's  charming 
romance.  The  scenery  of  it  is  truly  grand.  In  the  upper 
portions,  owing  to  the  condensation  of  the  air,  and  the  col 
lecting  of  clouds  by  the  hills,  the  climate  is  singularly  mild 


90  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

and  genial.  Here  grain  sometimes  ripens — the  highest  grain- 
growing  land  in  the  world — though  at  Tromsoe,  only  the 
dwarf-birch  flourishes,  and  at  Hammerfest,  which  is  but  a 
little  distance,  not  even  potatoes  or  the  birch  can  live. 

We  pass  now  many  glaciers,  and  occasionally  cliffs  of 
limestone. 

The  Jekulsfiord  was  indicated  as  remarkable,  for  having 
the  only  sea-glacier  in  Norway — that  is  the  only  glacier 
emptying  into  the  sea.  With  all  these  glaciers,  are  plainly 
to  be  seen  the  signs  so  often  indicated  by  Agassiz  ;  the 
moraines,  or  masses  of  rock  and  stone  pushed  on  by  the 
slowly-descending  ice,  the  semi-circular  form  of  the  mouth, 
and  the  protruding  blue  ice — with,  as  we  hear,  deep  cre 
vasses  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  down  which  the  ice- 
floods  make  their  way. 

Our  bad  weather  is  beginning  to  disappear,  and  the  sun 
shone  out  brightly  as  we  entered  the  beautiful  Alten  Fiord, 
in  which  are  the  famous  copper-works.  The  inner  branch  of 
the  Fiord  is  called  Kaafiord,  where  is  a  famous  headland, 
Bosekop.  The  highest  peaks  are  about  3,000  feet  high  ; 
many  of  the  hills  rounded  by  ice-floods  are  visible.  The  vil 
lage  with  the  green  slopes,  and  the  pretty  houses  of  the 
proprietor,  Colonel  Thomas,  looked  very  pleasantly  as  we 
came  to  anchor.  The  works  are  a  little  without  the  village. 
One  of  the  most  singular  sights  from  the  steamer,  is  the  dif 
ferent  lines  of  the  old  sea-beach,  plainly  visible  some  fifty 
feet  or  more  above  the  present  water-level.  The  highest  of 
these  ancient  sea-beaches  is  now  two  hundred  and  forty  feet 
above  the  sea,  showing  that  the  land  has  been  elevated  dur- 


THE  ICELANDER.  91 

ing  the  historic  period,  that  distance.  It  is  curious  that  the 
elevation  is  greater  here  than  towards  the  north,  so  that 
there  is  a  slope  towards  Hammerfest.* 

The  copper  found  in  these  mines  is  the  common  yellow 
pyrites.  The  rocks  are  clay-slate,  limestone,  and  hyper- 
sthene,  green  stone,  with  a  peculiar  kind  of  sandstone,  or 
granular  quartz. 

As  we  lay  at  anchor,  a  young  gentleman — an  Icelander — 
came  on  board,  from  the  Catholic  Mission  recently  estab 
lished  in  this  neighborhood.  I  had  known  some  of  his 
friends  in  Copenhagen,  and  we  soon  made  each  other's 
acquaintance.  There  seems  to  me  about  all  the  Icelanders 
I  have  met,  a  peculiar  raciness  and  enthusiasm.  We  had  a 
long  conversation  together,  in  which  I  inquired  of  the  mis 
sion  and  its  objects.  It  was  commenced,  he  stated,  by  a 
Russian  gentleman,  who  had  lost  his  estates  in  Russia,  from 
his  conversion  to  the  Catholic  faith — the  Baron  de  Djun- 
kowsky,  or  Pere  Etienne,  as  he  is  called  now. 

The  mission  consists  of  seven  priests,  two  French  and 
three  German,  beside  himself.  They  have  a  chapel  and 
have  prepared  a  catechism  as  well  as  a  kind  of  ascetical 
work.  A  seminary  and  college  will  be  opened  later.  He  is 
very  warm  about  his  friend. 

"  He  is  a  noble  man,  Mr.  B.,"  he  says  ;  "  such  a  man  as 
the  Holy  Xavier  was."  He  states  that  the  Baron  is  the 
Apostolic  Prefect  of  Iceland,  the  Faroes,  Lapland,  Green 
land,  and  Polar  America. 

*  Forbes'  Glaciers  of  Norway,  p.  84  and  96. 


92  THENORSE-FOLK. 

They  are  to  revive  the  five  bishoprics  which  flourished 
here  in  the  early  Christian  times,  and  they  want  hundreds 
of  priests.  The  great  question  yet  is,  whether  they  are  a 
legal  community.  They  are  buying  land,  and  they  refuse 
to  pay  tithes,  so  that  they  hope  soon  to  have  the  question 
of  their  independency  of  the  State  Church  brought  before 
the  courts  or  the  government.* 

"It  is  truly  a  question  of  liberty  in  religion,"  he  says. 
"But  we  are  obliged  to  present  it  as  a  question  of  education. 
At  present,  we  are  only  an  educational  establishment — and 
there  is  no  law  in  Norway  against  schools  by  foreigners." 

I  had  some  very  free  conversation  with  him  as  to  his  rea 
sons  for  joining  the  Jesuit  mission.  "I  know,"  he  said,  in 
English,  "  I  leave  the  faith  of  my  fathers,  though  not  of  the 
ancient  Icelandic  folk — but  to  me  at  this  time,  the  Church 
Catholiqne  seems  the  only  democratic  church.  If  I  was  in 
America,  it  might  be  different.  Look  at  us  here  !  We 
alone  ask  for  toleration — such  as  you  give  even  to  the  Mor 
mons — and  this  Lutheran  church  does  try  to  crush  us.  We 
are  seeking  to  carry  the  cross  among  the  poor  Finns,  and 
these  rich  pastors  say,  '  No  :  you  must  pay  for  our  salaries  ! 
you  must  bring  in  the  tenths  !  and  you  must  keep  up  the 
State-church  P  We  will  not  do  this.  No  :  I  would  rather 
go  to  Siberia  as  my  father,  the  baron,  has  done  once." 

We   spoke   afterwards  of    Iceland    and   her    literature. 

*  Later  information  shows  that  the  Mission  has  been  legalized.  A 
new  Catholic  Church— the  first  in  Norway — the  Church  of  St.  Olaf, 
was  consecrated  August  24,  1856,  in  Christiania. 


TALK.  93 

"  Ah  !"  he  said,  "  Mr.  B.,  if  you  could  only  read  our  old 
sagas  in  the  Icelandic  !  They  are  grand.  I  do  think  of 
them  every  day — such  vigor  and  fearlessness  I  We  have 
nothing  like  them  in  these  days.  Those  old  chieftains  who 
conquered  in  all  countries  of  Europe — and  who  sailed  away 
on  the  unknown  seas  as  the  crows  flew,  and  feared  never — 
and  finally  even  reached  your  noble  country.  Ah  !  what 
have  we  now  like  them  1 

"People  do  never  acknowledge  what  they  have  gained 
from  the  Northmen.  Do  you  think  they  do  ?  Your  jury- 
trial — your  free  speech — and  your  respect  for  women — are 
they  not  from  our  ancestors  ?  Christianity  has  much  effected 
—but  I  do  not  believe  it  so  much  implanted  respect  for  wo 
men  as  the  old  Norse  habits  and  character  did.  Pardon ! 
that  I  run  on  so.  Will  you  take  snuff  ?" 

We  walked  up  and  down  the  deck,  continuing  our  ani 
mated  conversation.  I  asked  if  he  would  care  to  live  in 
Iceland  ?  No  :  he  would  not.  It  was  dull,  and  was  now 
only  a  colony  and  a  depressed  colony  of  Denmark.  "  When 
I  settle,  it  shall  be  in  Free  Amerique,  where  all  sects  can 
have  toleration.  Europe  has  much  to  learn  from  you  in 
tolerance  and  free  allowance  of  every  religious  opinion.  Do 
you  see  how  these  Norwegians  avoid  me  ?  I  am  a  wolf, 
because  I  am  become  a  Catholique.  They  say,  '  See  !  he's  a 
Jesuit.  He  wants  an  auto-da-fe  here  !  We  shall  have  nuns 
and  a  pare  aux  cerfs  again  !'  Les  betes  /" 

I  asked  him  about  the  Finns  and  Lapps,  whom  they  were 
trying  to  convert.  He  gave  a  better  account  of  them  than 
I  ha,d  heard  from  the  Norwegians.  "  A  simple,  serious 


94  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

folk,"  he  said,  "  who  could  not  leave  their  nomade  life,  but 
who  might  be  much  improved.  Not  especially  stupid  or  infe 
rior,  and  very  grateful  for  kindness."  He  thought  they  had 
been  much  neglected  and  sometimes  oppressed  by  the  Nor 
wegians.  I  found  he  spoke  German  and  French  as  well  as 
he  did  English. 

The  valley  of  the  Alteu,  "  the  richest  and  most  important 
on  the  coast,"  according  to  Mr.  Lallerstedt,  has  been 
selected  by  the  Swedish  writers  against  Russia,  "  as  the 
point  where  her  ambitious  attempts  against  Scandinavia 
will  centralize."  The  gulf  has  three  mouths,  and  each  one 
leads  to  an  excellent  port,  well  sheltered  against  ocean  storms 
and  capable  of  being  well  defended. 

"  A  second  Sebastopol,"  says  Mr.  Lallerstedt,  "  could 
easily  be  erected  here."  The  valley,  rich  in  forests  and  metals 
and  inhabitants,  can  furnish  the  materials  for  great  enter 
prises.  A  direct  bridle-road  to  the  East  connects  the  Alten 
valley  with  the  Muonio  and  the  Torneo,  which  from  the  fron 
tier  between  Sweden  and  Russia.  It  would  need  but  few  days 
to  march  Russian  battalions  across  from  Torneo  to  this 
point.  Russia  has  also  in  the  White  Sea,  fifteen  thousand 
tons  of  merchant-shipping,  in  which  ten  thousand  men, 
with  artillery  and  provisions  for  three  months,  could  with 
out  difficulty  be  embarked.  There  is  nothing  on  the  whole 
coast,  north  of  Trondhjem,  to  oppose  a  united  attack,  thus 
made  by  land  and  sea.  With  Alten  in  her  hands,  Russia 
at  once  has  a  good  port  towards  the  Atlantic,  securely 
defended  and  open,  owing  to  the  influence  of  the  confer- 


DANGER  FKOM   RUSSIA.  95 

mation  of  the  land  and  the  Gulf-stream,  for  most  of  the 
year. 

So  the  Swedish  alarmists  have  pictured  the  danger. 
They  have,  perhaps,  overdrawn  the  peculiar  beauties  and 
fertilities  of  the  Alten  valley. 

It  is  certainly  much  more  genial  in  climate  than  Ham- 
merfest,  where  nothing  grows,  but  it  would  not  present 
itself  as  a  very  splendid  prize  for  an  ambitious  Northern 
people,  desiring  to  burst  out  towards  the  south  and  the 
sea.  For  nine  months  in  the  year,  it  is  a  cold,  gloomy 
place,  and  no  large  population  could  ever  subsist  there. 

Still  it  is,  perhaps,  well  to  have  called  the  attention 
of  Europe  to  the  possible  danger. 

TEMPERATURE. 

"For  eleven  years  (1837-48),"  says  Forbes,  "the  average  temper 
ature  (of  Alten)  at  9  A.  M.,  was  34°. 50;  at  9  P.  M.,  32°. 83  ;  fnean, 
33°. 66.  Yon  Buch  estimated  it,  solely,  from  the  upper  level  of  the 
Pine  (640  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea),  at  nearly  1°  Reaumur, 
or  34:.25  Fahrenheit,  a  remarkable  coincidence.  The  mean  tem 
perature  of  February,  which  is  decidedly  the  coldest  month,  is 
15°.4;  and  of  August,  which  is  usually  the  hottest,  54°. 3.  This 
range  is,  however,  small,  compared  with  the  actual  extremes  on 
particular  days,  which  I  find  to  be  the  following  during  three  years 
for  which  they  are  specified,  but  of  which  those  for  1848  only  are 
certainly  taken  with  self-registering  instruments : — 


1846. 

1847. 

1848. 

Maximum  

83°.  3 

84°.7 

86°  .9 

Minimum  

14°.8 

3M 

20°.  2 

Range  

93°.  1 

87°.8 

107M 

96  THENORSE-FOLK. 

Hence  it  appears  that  the  thermometer  rarely,  if  ever,  falls  below 
the  zero  of  Fahrenheit,  whilst  there  is  not,  perhaps,  another  part  of 
the  earth's  surface  on  this  parallel  where  mercury  does  not  freeze  in 
winter.  The  fall  of  rain  and  snow  in  these  three  years  was  only 
18.19,  16.81,  and  17.19  inches." 

Alten  is  known  as  the  most  northerly  grain-growing  town 
in  the  world — barley  being  raised  here. 

"Yon  Buch  has  remarked,  that  in  Norway  and  Lapland  the  planes 
of  vegetation  of  the  pine  and  birch  run  nearly  parallel  to  the  plane 
of  perpetual  snow,  the  intervals,  as  observed  by  him  at  Alten,  being 
given  by  the  following  table  of  limiting  heights  of  vegetation  above 
the  sea : — 

VEQKTATION   IN  LATITUDE  70°. 

The  Pine  (Pinus  sylvestris)  ceases  at  237  metres  =  780  English  feet.  The  Birch 
(Betulajtlbd)  ceases  at  482  metres  —  1580  English  feet.  Bilberry  ( Vaccinium 
Myrtillus)  ceases  at  2030  English  feet.  Mountain  Willow  (Salios  mirsmiies)  ceases 
at  2150  English  feet.  Dwarf  Birch  (Betula  nava)  at  2740  English  feet.  The  snow 
line,  8480  English  feet."— Forbes*  Glaciers  of  Norway. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

HAMMERFEST. 

THIS  is  the  most  northerly  town  in  Europe,  lat.  70°  40r- 
on  the  same   degree  in    America  is  perpetual  snow,  and 
scarcely  any  human  life. 

We  reached  it  at  eleven  o'clock,  P.M.,  in  broad  daylight. 
There  was  a  question,  whether  there  was  any  hotel  there  at 
all,  so  that  our  first  steps  were  in  search  of  one.  We  were 
directed  to  one  of  the  best-looking  merchant's  houses,  were 
received  by  a  dignified  host,  and  at  once  shown  to  neat, 
quiet  rooms,  furnished  in  the  usual  style,  with  narrow  beds 
with  huge  feather  beds  for  coverlids,  chairs,  a  pretty  birch 
table  set  into  the  wall  (we  see  much  exquisite  furniture 
made  of  the  polished  birch)  papered  walls,  and  uncarpeted 
floors.  The  house  has  an  immense  number  of  apartments,  a 
large  billiard-room,  a  pretty  supper-room,  and  the  family 
parlor  below  stairs.  One  of  the  rooms  below  is  the  store 
and  counting-house,  where  is  kept  for  sale  almost  every 
article  needed  by  man,  and  capable  of  being  brought  or  sold 
here,  from  fish-oil  and  reindeer  skins  up  to  oranges  and 
thermometers. 

As  soon  as  possible  we  were  out  exploring  the  little  town. 

5  or 


98  THEl 

It  was  nearly  twelve,  but  the  hour  seemed  no  nearer  bed 
time  than  in  the  morning.  Hammerfest  consists  of  some 
three  streets,  a  square,  and  a  church — the  square  having  a 
dangerous-looking  well  in  the  centre.  It  was  horribly 
muddy,  and  impregnated  with  the  smell  of  the  boiling 
fish  oil. 

The  wharves  were  hung  with  the  stock-fisch  (cod),  tied 
together  and  hanging  over  poles.  The  great  object  of  every 
traveller  to  Hammerfest,  besides  seeing  the  Arctic  town,  is 
to  get  a  view  of  the  midnight  sun — so  we  soon  started,  ladies 
and  all,  to  climb  the  hill  behind  the  town. 

There  were  represented  in  our  party  England,  Ireland, 
Germany,  Iceland,  Norway,  and  America  ;  and  the  latter 
had  the  largest  deputation.  There  was  something  singu 
larly  fascinating  in  thus  strolling  off  at  midnight  with  a  good 
company,  and  still  enjoying  broad  day-light.  The  ladies 
were  helped  along — in  part  over  the  snow,  and  then  over 
the  springing,  beautiful  moss,  till  we  stood  on  the  summit. 
The  sun  was  just  setting,  that  is,  approaching  the  moun 
tains  at  the  north  ;  but  contrary  to  my  expectation,  the 
light  was  not  at  all  the  warm  light  of  sunset,  but  rather 
that  of  morning. 

Our  artist,  who  has  been  making  a  sketch,  says  that 
Humboldt  assured  him  that  he  would  never  find  warm  colors 
in  the  scenery  ;  that  they  were  always  cold  and  severe. 
Hammerfest  lay  below  on  its  little  circular  bay,  hid  from  the 
south  by  a  rocky  point,  now  beautifully  green,  and  marked 
by  the  crosses  of  the  grave-yard,  laid  out  among  the  rocks. 
No  tree  or  shrub,  or  garden-bed  was  anywhere  visible,  though 


THE     MIDNIGHT    SUN.  99 

beneath  our  feet,  on  the  rugged  cliff,  bloomed  flowers  so  ex 
quisite,  as  no  gardener's  art  has  produced  them.  Even  the 
dwarf-birch  has  ceased  here  to  grow,  except  in  the  deepest 
valleys. 

The  wind  began  to  blow  from  the  North,  and  there  were 
fears  of  the  clouds,  which  already  half  covered  the  setting 
sun. 

Our  Icelander,  who  loves  to  quote  the  Sagas,  says  the 
North  wind  was  always  to  the  Scandinavians  a  good  sign. 
The  old  heroes  are  represented  as  praying  to  the  North  ; 
and  in  one  battle  of  the  peasants  of  Sweden  with  Gustavus 
Adolphus,  they  are  said  to  have  been  greatly  encouraged 
by  a  bitter  North  wind.  To  us  weak  modern  men,  the  Nor 
wegian  north  winds  are  no  joke. 

"  It's  just  five  minutes  of  twelve  I  we  shan't  see  it." 

"  There  it  is  above  I  See  the  line  of  sunshine  come  down 
the  mountain  !  We  shall  have  it  soon  !"  There  were  a 
few  moments  of  doubt,  when  the  great  orb  burst  splendidly 
forth  below  the  cloud.  "  The  rising  sun!  THE  MIDNIGHT 
SUN  !"  It  was  a  splendid  spectacle — the  rays  sparkling 
over  the  beautiful  Fiord,  lighting  up  distant  snowy  moun 
tains,  shining  back  from  peak  to  peak  far  away,  and  the 
whole  sphere  majestically  rising  and  clearing  away  what  a 
moment  before  had  been  the  clouds  of  evening,  but  were 
now  the  mists  of  morning.  The  light,  too  was  a  different 
one,  at  least  to  our  imagination — purer,  clearer,  and  fresher. 
We  watched  the  first  movement,  and  it  seemed,  for  a  time, 
not  to  be  upwards,  but  parallel  with  the  hills,  and  then  to 
be  gradually  ascending.  At  length  we  slowly  descended 


100  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

under  the  full  morning  sun-light  to  the  village.  It  was  half- 
past  one,  as  we  walked  through  the  streets,  but  people 
seemed  just  as  much  up  and  stirring  as  in  the  day.  Children 
were  playing  in  the  street,  and  women  sewing  at  the  win 
dows,  while  many  came  to  the  doors  to  study  the  costumes 
of  our  ladies.  "  Certainly,  nobody  sleeps  in  Norway,"  we 
said. 

I  must  speak  again  of  these  gloriously  long  days — they 
are  the  greatest  pleasure  of  Nordland  (to  an  American)-— 
you  are  always  ahead  in  your  work  ;  time  never  overtakes 
you.  At  first,  you  are  hurrying  in  the  evening,  as  if  dark 
ness  would  come  upon  you  and  you  should  not  have  time  to 
finish  whatever  you  are  engaged  at ;  or  you  hasten  to  get 
through  with  an  excursion,  but  you  soon  come  into  the  habit 
of  the  perpetual  day.  The  elastic  air  stimulates,  and  you 
seem,  to  live  two  lives  to  the  one  in  other  latitudes.  It  be 
comes  hard  to  sleep.  Our  la.dy  friends,  indeed,  complain  ; 
they  miss  the  evening  twilight,  and  the  curtains  drawn,  and 
shutters  closed.  One  says,  "  she  would  give  so  much  to  see 
a  good  Paris  lamp  again  1" 

I  find  that  I  sleep  usually  from  one  or  two  in  the  morning 
till  nine,  and  though  it  is  broad-day  at  either  hour,  it  seems 
to  make  no  difference. 

We  found  that  the  artist  had  made  a  beautiful  sketch  in 
water-colors  of  the  place,  faithfully  portraying  the  horizon 
of  iceberg-like  peaks,  faintly  colored  by  the  morning,  bound 
ing  the  Fiord  ;  the  singular  reddish  rock  rising  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  bay  ;  the  little  semi-circular  town,  with  its  red 
roofs,  and  green  grass  roofs  of  the  peasants,  and  the  pictur- 


PEICES.  101 

esque  turfed  cabins  of  the  Finns  on  the  outskirts.  He  had 
been  hardly  an  hour  over  it,  but  had  wonderfully  touched 
the  prominent  features  with  the  true  feeling  of  genius. 
Mr.  H.,  we  hear,  is  the  best  water-colorist  on  the  conti 
nent. 

THE    TRADE. 

This  is  principally  in  cod  and  fish-oil — cod-liver  oil  is  well 
prepared  here.  Hammerfest  is  a  considerable  centre  of  ex 
change  in  furs  and  skins  ;  immense  quantities  of  reindeer 
skins  being  brought  there. 

I  purchased  two  or  three  large,  beautiful  skins,  to  be  made 
up  into  mats,  as  gifts,  for  which  the  price  was  only  one  dollar 
each.  The  ermine  skins  are  six  cents  each  ;  fox  skins  from 
three  dollars  to  fifteen  dollars.  A  singular  exchange  is 
carried  on  here.  Otter  skins  are  imported,  via  England  and 
Hamburg,  from  America,  sold  to  the  Russians,  and  carried 
by  them  overland  to  Chinar,  where  they  are  employed  to 
wrap  the  dead  who  are  buried  in  state.  There  were  several 
Russian  vessels  in  the  harbor  from  Archangel,  with  most 
ugly-looking  sailors  aboard.  These  bring  rye  and  provisions 
and  furs  ;  the  stoppage  of  this  trade  by  the  war,  was  severely 
felt  in  Northern  Norway. 

Every  thing  is  much  cheaper  than  I  should  expect,  so  far 
towards  the  ends  of  the  earth.  A  good  dwelling  will  rent 
from  $60  to  $80  dollars.  Beef  is  6  cents  per  pound  ;  mut 
ton,  6  cents  ditto  ;  milk,  about  6  cents  a  quart.  Butter  is 
imported,  as,  like  all  the  Norwegians,  the  inhabitants  prefer 
to  consume  their  own  cream  at  once.  A  cow  is  worth  from 


102  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

$12  to  $20  ;  horse,  $100  ;  reindeer,  $3  ;  sheep,  $2  ;  a  labor 
er's  wages  from  42  cents  to  63  cents  a  day,  without  food. 
The  population  in  1846,  was  927  ;  it  is  now  1,125. 

The  English  college-men  who  have  been  "roughing  it"  on 
the  deck,  are  quartered  at  this  hotel.  They,  with  the  artist, 
are  going  to  the  North  Cape.  The  steamer  which  connects 
with  ours,  takes  them  within  a  few  miles,  and  thence  they 
proceed  by  open  boat — the  steamer  itself  going  on  to  Vad- 
soe.  Our  hotel  proves  a  very  good  one.  To-day  we  had 
ptarmigan*  and  reindeers'  tongues  at  dinner,  preserved  by 
the  landlord  in  hermetically  sealed  cans.  The  only  objec 
tion  to  the  house,  as  to  the  town,  is  the  intolerable  smell  of 
burning  fish-oil  which  pervades  every  thing.  This  landlord 
has  himself  been  three  times  chosen  one  of  the  "  Electors," 
for  electing  a  member  of  the  National  Parliament.  He 
says  that  within  a  fortnight  there  will  be  a  new  election,  but 
that  there  is  no  excitement.  Hammerfest  and  Yadsoe  and 
Tromsb'e  used  to  send  one  member  ;  now  they  are  to  send 
two.  The  new  religious  movement  in  Tromsoe  takes  all  the 
public  interest. 

In  the  afternoon,  we  rowed  over  to  Mr.  R.'s  place,  in 
order  to  see  some  reindeer,  pasturing  on  the  hills.  They 
were  feeding  by  themselves,  without  any  herdsmen,  and 
scarcely  let  us  come  within  what  would  be  shooting-dis 
tance.  They  were  dun-colored,  and,  seen  through  the  glass, 
were  very  thin  and  ugly.  The  Lapps  drive  them  down  at 

*  Called  Ryper  (Tetrao  Lagopus  Alpinus). 


A   MONUMENT.  103 

this  season  to  the  sea,  to  escape  the  attacks  of  a  little 
worm  which  annoys  them  excessively.  They  are  considered 
almost  valueless  now,  for  present  use.  We  found  the  moss 
everywhere  on  which  they  feed. 

On  our  way  back,  we  visited  an  interesting  monument 
erected  by  the  Norwegian,  Swedish,  and  Russian  govern 
ments,  to  designate  the  terminus  of  the  arc  of  the  meridian, 
drawn,  on  a  great  scale,  from  the  Danube  to  the  Arctic. 

The  following  is  the  inscription,  somewhat  abbreviated  : 

"  TERMINUS  SEPTENTRIONALIS  ARCUS  MERIDIANI,  25°  28',  QUEM  INDE 
AB  OCEANO  ARCTICO  AD  FLUVIUM  DANUBIUM  USQUE,  PER  NORREGIAM, 

SWECIAM,    ET    ROSSIAM,    JUSSU    ET    AUSPICII    REGIS    AuGUSTISSIMI,     Os- 

CARI    I.,    IMPERATORUM    AUGUSTISSIMORUM,    ALEXANDRI    I.,   ATQUE 

XlCOLAI    I.,  (1816)  AD  (1852,)  CONTINUO    LAHORE     EMENSI    SUNT,    TRIUM 

OKNTIUM  GEOMETRY." 

LAT.  70°  40'  11". 

The  weather  to-day  has  been  the  most  splendid  autumu- 
]ike  weather — the  sun  shining  brilliantly  over  the  Fiord  and 
snowy  mountains.  Women  and  children  are  out  walking 
on  the  heights,  and  enjoying  their  few  glimpses  of  summer. 

The  North  Cape  can  easily  be  seen  from  the  high  hill 
behind  the  town. 

Von  Buch  states  that  to  get  the  mean  temperature  of 
Hammerfest,  one  must  ascend  from  three  hundred  to  four 
hundred  feet  higher  than  the  pass  of  the  St.  Gothard,  in  the 
Alps.  It  is  an  instance  of  the  bonds  which  the  great  Ocean 
river  makes  between  most  distant  points,  that,  in  1823, 
casks  of  palm-oil  drifted  ashore  here,  which  were  traced  to 
a  wreck  on  Cape  Lopez,  Africa.  This  stream  of  warm 


104  THE    NOB  SB -FOLK. 

water  alone  must  make  a  vast  difference  in  the  climate  of 
Norway.  It  is  well  known  that  drift-ice  is  never  seen,  even 
at  Hammerfest,  or  at  nearly  71°,  while  on  the  American 
coast  it  appears  at  41°. 

At  Trondhjem,  the  difference  of  temperature  between 
January  and  July  is  40°  Fahr.,  while  at  Jakutzk,  Siberia, 
in  the  same  latitude,  away  from  the  influence  of  the  sea,  it 
is  114°,  and  the  mercury  is  sometimes  frozen  for  three 
months  in  the  year.* 

In  walking  about  the  town,  one  of  us  said  to  a  boy, 
cutting  cod  for  salting,  "  What  do  you  do  with  the  back 
bones  and  bones?"  "Feed  the  cattle,  sir,"  was  the  answer; 
and  it  is  true.  Even  the  horses  here  must  sometimes  eat 
refuse  fish  and  bones. 

July.— One  of  the  "Fjeld  Firmer,"  or  Finns  of  the 
Mountain,  was  at  our  hotel  to-day.  He  wore  the  same 
dress  as  the  one  on  the  boat,  though  his  blouse  was  of 
fine  sheep-skin,  and  his  shoes  were  of  reindeer-skin.  The 
bright  colors  of  their  high  caps  give  a  very  picturesque 
effect  to  a  company  of  them,  seen  together. 

I  induced  this  man  to  take  off  his  cap,  and  felt  the 
shape  of  his  head,  much  to  his  astonishment,  no  doubt. 
He  had  an  excellently-formed  head  ;  forehead  strong  and 
full,  though  not  high  ;  the  frontal  portions  of  the  brain 
rising  finely,  perhaps  highest  on  the  Phrenologic  organ 
of  "firmness  ;  and  the  backside  of  the  head  not  too  full 

*  Forbes. 


A   FINN.  105 

in  proportion.  His  hair  was  light  and  very  long  ;  eye 
grey,  and  cheek-bones  very  high,  the  broadest  part  of 
the  face  being  at  that  point ;  mouth  large,  and  chin  small, 
with  a  scanty  moustache  and  imperial,  as  is  usual.  A  face, 
I  should  say,  showing  some  weakness  but  good  capabilities 
of  improvement.  On  the  whole,  bearing  out  what  my 
Icelandic  friend  had  said. 

On  going  off  at  night  to  the  steamer,  our  landlord  would 
ftot  go  into  any  accounts,  but  said,  "call  it  a  dollar  a 
day,"  which,  considering  that  it  included  use  of  boat,  pre 
paration  of  four  meals  and  rooms,  was  cheap  enough. 


5* 


CHAPTER    IX. 

AN   ARCTIC   DINNER  AND    EXCURSION. 

OUR  voyage  South  began  in  beautiful  weather,  like  an 
Italian  summer,  making  the  coast  seem  another  region 
compared  with  the  view  on  our  upward  trip.  We  expect 
to  be  in  Trondhjem  on  the  fourteenth  day  from  leaving 
it,  which  is  the  quickest  time  in  which  this  trip  can  be 
made  by  the  government  steamers. 

On  our  arrival  at  Tromsoe,  we  found  a  pleasant  dinner 
party  prepared  to  meet  us,  at  our  friend's,  Mr. .  The 

houses  here  are  usually  very  comfortable  ;  this  is  like  a 
German  house,  with  many  tastefully-furnished  but  uncarpeted 
rooms.  Reindeer-skin  mats  you  see  about,  and  snow-shoes, 
some  six  feet  long  at  the  outside  door.  The  windows  are 
double,  with  French  casements.  Beautiful  flowers  are  at 
almost  every  window. 

The  cooking  is  much  like  the  cooking  of  a  nice  German 
family,  and  the  dinner  had  the  same  general  arrangement. 
The  pudding — which  the  Norwegians  make  inimitably — 
coming  in  between  the  other  courses  ;  the  game  dishes 
being  eaten  with  sour  preserves,  and  the  dessert  as  with 

106 


THE   NORWEGIAN  TABLE.  107 

us,  fruits  and  nuts.  One  preserve,  which  is  very  popular 
with  all  classes,  is  the  multiberry  (moltibeer),  a  small  berry 
growing  close  to  the  ground. 

The  crowning  dish  of  Scandinavia,  is  also  in  use  here, 
the  "rogrod"*  eaten  with  cream  and  sugar.  May  America 
soon  be  blessed  with  that  delicious  mixture  for  a  refreshing 
summer-dish  ! 

The  wines  used  were  mostly  from  the  Moselle  and  the 
Rhine.  The  most  characteristic  things  to  be  observed  were, 
the  hearty,  manly  bearing  of  the  company,  and  the  repeated 
toasting.  I  think  one  would  seldom  see  a  table-company 
in  Germany,  where  there  were  so  many  strong,  manly-look 
ing  persons,  and  with  such  a  free,  independent  manner.  The 
conversation  showed  them  all  to  be  persons  of  cultivation,  as 
well  as  of  much  natural  intelligence.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  quick  wit  and  fun  going  on,  constantly  across  the 
table.  The  Norwegian  women  impress  one  very  favorably 
— as  quick,  intelligent,  and  kind  in  manner,  with  an  equal 
bearing  towards  the  men,  as  if  accustomed  to  respect.  I 
have  seen,  thus  far,  very  few  beauties  among  the  upper 
classes  ;  the  climate  evidently  tells  on  them. 

*  We  append  the  recipe  : — "  Take  three  and  a  half  pounds  of  juice 
of  currants  and  three  pints  of  water  and  sugar,  ad  lib.,  with  a 
flavoring  of  almonds  or  cinnamon  (an  ounce  or  an  ounce  and  a  half.) 
Boil  this  mixture,  and  when  it  begins  to  boil  add  one  and  a  quarter 
pound  of  ground  rice  or  a  pound  of  sago.  Let  it  boil  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  and  stir  it  often;  afterwards  it  is  to  be  poured  into  moulds  or 
tea-cups,  which  have  been  wet  with  cold  water,  and  left  to  cool. 
Then  it  should  be  turned  out,  and  eaten  with  cream  and  sugar.  Any 
other  juice  of  acid  fruit  will  do  as  well." 


108  THE 


Almost  immediately  after  the  soup  a  toast  was  proposed 
—  "  The  strangers  "  —  with  a  neat  little  speech  from  the  host. 
We  bowed  our  response. 

Soon  after  came  another  toast  to  the  Amtmand  —  then  to 
the  lady  of  the  Foged,  who  was  not  present  ;  then  from  one 
of  the  company  to  the  hostess  and  to  the  host  —  each  accom 
panied  with  a  speech  or  a  joke.  Towards  the  close,  our 
host  offered  one  toast  very  seriously,  alluding  to  the  Cramp- 
ton  difficulties  —  "  Peace  between  England  and  America  .'" 
The  jovial  amtmand,  with  a  very  hearty,  pleasant  bit  of  an 
oration,  gave  us  "  The  Thirty-one  Stars  of  the  American 
Flag  !" 

I  responded  with  a  toast  in  German,  to  the  "  Norwegian 
Constitution  !" 

In  the  course  of  the  dinner,  I  told  the  amtmand,  about  the 
character  of  his  office,  as  we  get  it  in  "  Afraja"  —  the  cruel 
and  tyrannical  amtmand  of  Tromsoe.  He  had  not  seen  the 
novel,  though  they  all  knew  about  Miigge.  They  laughed 
at  his  romance  of  the  oppression  of  the  Finns  by  the  Nor 
wegians  ;  and  his  sketches  of  Finnish  magicians  and  maid 
ens.  The  feeling  towards  the  Finns  and  Lapps,  seemed  to 
be  very  much  like  the  feeling  of  an  intelligent  Western 
company  towards  the  Indians.  The  poetry  of  the  race  is 
quite  obscured  in  their  debased  or  drunken  habits.  The 
Lapps  are  simply  ignorant,  dirty  men,  who  live  in  a  barbar 
ous  way  among  reindeers,  or  who  catch  the  cod  and  the 
ducks  which  the  Norwegians,  want.  Still  Miigge  is  right. 
They  present  a  fair  foil  to  the  Norwegians,  such  as  a  drama 
tist  would  seize  upon  —  weak,  poetic,  roving  and  unsettled, 


DINNER   CHAT.  109 

while  their  masters  are  strong,  practical,  steady,  and  per 
haps  tyrannical.  They  have  lost,  too,  their  old  possessions 
and  habitations  before  the  conquering  race  of  Northmen. 
Without  doubt,  they  have  suffered  much  injustice. 

"  Well:  we  shall  see,"  said  the  Amtmand.  "  I  have  ordered 
a  little  tribe  to  meet  us  this  afternoon  in  the  valley — rein 
deer  and  all.  They  are  generally,  at  this  time  of  year,  far 
away  on  the  mountains." 

I  had  some  conversation  with  one  gentleman — a  teacher 
— on  the  Public  Schools. 

"  We  have  many  obstacles,  Herr  B.,"  he  said  in  German. 
"  Our  profession  is  not  yet  sufficiently  respected  here.  We 
can  not  open  as  thorough  and  cultivated  schools  as  we 
desire." 

I  expressed  my  admiration  of  their  Drawing-schools  for 
working-men.  He  said,  that  they  found  their  influence  ex 
cellent  on  the  craftsmen. 

"  Do  the  common  people  read  ?"  I  asked.  "  Ja  wohl ! — 
certainly,"  he  answered,  "  all  read  the  Bible  and  Psalm- 
book,  and  many  of  them  other  works." 

I  inquired  about  these  fishermen  on  the  coast.  They 
were  rather  wild  and  ungoverned,  he  said,  "  but  they  all 
read,  and  are  intelligent." 

I  was  talking  with  another  gentleman,  a  sea-officer,  of 
the  coast  and  the  coast-scenery,  and  in  our  conversation, 
I  asked  him  about  that  which  is  the  terror  of  every  child's 
life  in  geographical  description,  the  Mdlstrbm,  He  laughed, 
and  said,  in  English,  "That  is  a  myt  (myth)  1  There  is 
noting  in  it — noting.  I  have  seen  your  whirl-streams  in 


110  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

America,  they  are  quite  as  bad.  It  only  is  a  rapid  stream 
of  tide  between  two  rocks,  sometime  a  leetle  dangerous  to 
an  unskillful  boatsman.  Noting  more  ;  noting!" 

"  Like  Hurl-gate,  near  New  York,  probably  1" 

"  Yees  ;  very  likely,  so  as  I  remember." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  our  host,  rising,  "  you  know  it  is 
our  custom,  before  leaving  the  table,  to  drink  one  toast. 
(To  me.)  We  are  from  the  South,  and  it  is  our  habit 
always  to  remember  that  at  a  festival — -I  propose  our 
friends  at  the  South!  gentlemen  !"  This  was  drank  heart 
ily,  and  we  left  for  the  drawing-room.  There  each  shook 
hands  with  the  hostess,  and  thanked  her,  and  then  cigars 
and  coffee  were  brought,  and  the  pleasant  chat  was  kept  up. 

"It  is  time  for  the  excursion,"  said  the  active  Amtmand, 
"  and  we  must  prepare  for  rough  walking  1"  It  was  now 
1  o'clock,  and  we  had  five  miles  for  ladies  and  all  to  walk 
through  a  marsh  and  wood,  before  we  could  reach  the 
Lapp  encampment,  which  our  friends  would  show  us.  Think 
of  such  a  walk  into  the  forest  in  any  other  latitude  at  this 
hour  !  The  light  out-doors  was  a  pleasant  full  afternoon 
light  yet,  and  in  the  Northern  summer,  no  one  thinks  of 
dusk  or  sleep.  Nature  leaves  you  untrammelled. 

We  crossed  the  piece  of  water  which  surrounds  Tromsoe 
in  boats,  and  taking  up  our  companions  from  the  steamer, 
began  the  walk  up  the  valley.  It  was  an  excursion  to 
remember.  The  paths  wound  through  a  kind  of  thicket, 
which  in  the  warm  valley,  showed  a  much  greater  variety 
of  vegetation  than  we  had  seen  on  the  hill  by  the  town. 

There   was   the   mountain-ash    (the   Scotch  rowan   and 


THE   WALK.  Ill 

Norwegian  ron)  •  and  elder  berries,  and  alders,  willows, 
and  birch,  and  a  number  whose  names  I  did  not  know. 

On  the  ground,  we  plucked  the  yellow  violet  and  white 
multiberry  (rubus  c/iamcemorus) ,  and  pink-heath,  and  yellow 
ranunculus,  and  now  and  then  an  anemone,  with  the  sweet 
flower  of  the  blue-berry  or  the  hare-bell. 

The  weather  was  as  different  from  what  we  had  ex 
perienced  here  in  going  up,  as  summer  from  winter.  A 
rich  warm  afternoon-light  filled  the  valley  with  almost  a 
glory,  calling  into  short  existence  thousands  and  thousands 
of  little  insects  and  moths.  Above  us  were  the  mighty 
hills,  whence,  whenever  we  left  our  merry  party,  we  heard 
as  in  the  most  solemn  stillness,  the  gentle  continuous 
rustling  of  the  torrents  melting  from  the  snow  in  long 
silvery  streamlets — "the  whispering  of  Nature,"  as  one  of 
our  Norwegian  friends  said. 

The  walk  was  a  very  hard  one  for  the  ladies — especially 
for  one  of  the  Norwegian — we  had  to  carry  them  over 
torrents,  guide  them  through  morasses,  and  rescue  them 
from  occasional  snow-drifts  which  yet  remained  even  in 
summer-heats.  The  Norwegian  gentlemen  were  evidently 
accustomed  to  such  escorting,  and  did  their  duty  in  a  most 
creditable  manner.  C ,  a  lively  fellow  from  this  Pro 
vince,  who  only  spoke  some  half  dozen  words  in  any 
language  beside  his  own,  made  himself  as  agreeable  as 
if  he  had  the  whole  vocabulary  of  each — trying  now  Ger 
man,  now  French,  now  English,  or  even  Latin. 

At  length,  we  came  out  on  a  beautiful  green  intervale, 
with  a  brook  dashing  through  it,  lying  at  the  base  of  great 


112  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

snow-capped  hills.  We  were  almost  upon  them,  before  we 
perceived  an  encampment  of  little  turf  and  wood  huts,  with 
an  enclosure  for  cattle,  surrounded  by  a  turf  and  bush 
hedge.  One  or  two  Laplanders  stood  quietly  among  them ; 
the  whole  a  perfect  fac-simile  of  the  pictures  in  children's 
story-books.  A  place  to  rest  was  made  on  the  green 
grass  for  the  ladies,  and  the  refreshments  were  brought  out, 
while  the  Lapps  were  hurrying  down  their  reindeer  from  the 
mountains.  I  went  out,  in  the  mean  time,  to  examine  the 
huts.  They  were  built  closely,  of  turf,  with  a  hole  in  the 
top  for  the  smoke,  like  an  Indian  wigwam.  The  reindeer- 
cheese  was  shown  to  us,  buried  in  the  ground,  in  wooden 
vessels  ;  the  milk  was  in  heavy  wooden  pails.  The  spoons 
were  of  wood  and  horn,  curiously  cut.  We  bought  a  few, 
and  then  my  American  friend  attempted  to  buy  some  of 
their  rare  jewelry,  which  they  have  kept  a  long  time  among 
their  tribes,  but  which  they  occasionally  sell  to  travellers. 
They  would  not  part  with  it. 

Of  course,  the  great  interest  was  in  the  reindeer.  The 
first  glimpse  we  caught  of  them,  was  as  of  a  flock  of  little 
black  animals  on  the  snow  at  the  top  of  the  mountain. 
Gradually  they  drew  nearer  to  us,  and  we  could  see  that 
they  were  driven  by  some  little  Lapland-dogs,  and  two  boys 
with  whips.  Every  straggler  from  the  herd  was  at  once 
brought  in  by  the  dogs,  and  the  whole  mass  was  directed 
towards  us.  Finally  they  came,  tramping  and  snuffing,  and 
with  a  low  grunting  noise,  into  the  valley,  and  passed  us, 
some  two  hundred  of  them — the  bucks  bent  down  under 
their  grand  antlers,  the  does  very  thin  and  scraggy,  and  the 


THE   REINDEER.  113 

little  fawns,  dun-colored  and  graceful — all  running  into  the 
enclosure.  They  are,  as  I  before  observed,  a  small  deer — • 
much  more  so  than  I  expected — and,  at  this  season,  pecu 
liarly  ugly.  Their  motion  is  a  kind  of  quick  trot — not  a 
bound,  like  that  of  our  deer — and,  it  is  said,  they  will  keep 
this  up  for  ninety  miles  a  day.  The  boy,  to  show  us  the 
milk,  threw  a  lasso  some  twenty  feet  over  a  doe,  and 
pulled  her  up  towards  him.  He  milked  her  in  a  little 
wooden  vessel.  The  milk  is  very  rich  in  quality,  richer 
than  cow's  milk — and  not  disagreeable.  We  are  told  there 
are  two  species  of  moss,  which  the  reindeer  feed  on — one,  a 
lichen  (rangiferina),  with  a  broad  pale-green  leaf,  which  we 
observe  everywhere  on  the  rocks  (such  as  grows  on  dead 
trees  in  America) ;  and  another,  the  little  white  Iceland- 
moss,  which  the  Lapps  keep  and  dry  for  winter.  They  also 
eat  the  lemming-rat.  The  deer  are  greatly  troubled  by  flies 
and  insects,  and,  either  to  escape  these  or  to  get  their 
favorite  moss,  they  draw  their  masters  down  at  this  season 
to  the  hills  near  the  sea. 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  these  natural  migrations  of  the 
reindeer  have  been  the  occasion  almost  of  a  war  between 
Norway  and  the  colossal  empire  at  the  North.  In  former 
times,  Finnish  fishermen  used  to  follow  their  business  on  the 
fishing-places  of  the  Norwegians,  and,  in  return,  the  Nor 
wegian  Lapps  were  allowed  to  cross  into  Finland  during 
winter,  for  the  moss  for  their  reindeer.  The  Russian  Lapps 
had  the  same  privilege  in  summer  on  these  coasts.  This 
exchange  was  settled,  even  by  a  treaty  between  Norway 
and  Sweden,  as  far  back  as  1751. 


THE 

After  a  time,  when  Russia  had  conquered  Finland,  her 
government  expressed  itself  dissatisfied  with  this  state  of 
things,  and  demanded  greater  privileges  for  Russian  fisher 
men,  and  even  stations  on  the  coast.  These  were  refused. 
It  then  refused  all  entrance  into  Finland  for  the  Lapps  and 
their  reindeer,  and  when  the  poor  animals  absolutely  forced 
their  way  to  their  usual  food,  they  were  killed,  and  great 
injury  was  thus  inflicted  on  the  Norwegian  Lapps.  These 
latter  attributed  their  suffering  to  their  own  government, 
and  were  exasperated  once  or  twice  even  into  bloody  out 
breaks.  The  Norwegian  government  sent  a  commission 
into  Finland,  to  quiet  the  Lapps,  and  demanded  explana 
tions  of  the  Russian  government.  No  satisfactory  replies 
were  ever  received,  and  thus  the  matter  still  rests. 

As  I  had  expressed  my  desire  of  making  some  inquiries 
of  the  Lapps  themselves,  especially  on  their  religious  faith, 
my  friends  called  forward  one  of  the  young  herdsmen,  and 
introduced  me,  through  an  interpreter.  The  man  was 
dressed  in  a  kind  of  reindeer-skin  frock,  with  a  red  visor- 
less  cap,  and  blue  trowsers,  tied  at  the  ankle.  He  took  off 
his  cap,  and  showed  a  good,  intelligent  face,  and  well-shaped 
forehead,  with  the  usual  features — high  cheek-bones,  small 
eyes,  and  long  light  hair.  His  height  was  perhaps  five  feet 
six  inches.  He  was  a  kind  of  servant  or  member  of  the 
household,  the  chief  of  which  possessed  these  reindeer. 

"  Can  you  read  ?"  I  asked,  through  the  interpreter. 

He  answered  that  he  had  learned  of  the  schoolmasters 
(they  go  from  house  to  house). 

"  Can  you  read  the  Bible  ?" 


TALK   WITH  A  LAPP.  115 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  he  read  it  almost  every  day.  He  had  been 
confirmed  under  Lestadius." 

This  was  the  great  preacher  and  missionary  among  them, 
and  the  originator  of  this  remarkable  religious  movement, 
of  which  I  have  already  spoken.  He  died  in  1841. 

"  Do  you  believe  you  will  live  after  you  die." 

"  Everyone  will  live,"  he  answered,  very  seriously  ;  "  but 
whether  he  should  attain  the  blessed  life,  he  was  not  sure  ; 
he  was  trying  very  hard,  but  sometimes  he  was  in  doubt  ?" 

"  Do  you  think  you  will  live  above  or  below  ?" 

The  answer  was  remarkable  :  "  God  is  everywhere,  above 
and  below.  He  will  do  with  me  what  is  good  1" 

I  was  desirous  of  seeing  if  any  of  the  old  superstitions 
still  existed  among  them. 

"When  there  is  a  storm  among  the  mountains,  do  you 
not  believe  the  wicked  spirits  are  at  work  ?" 

''They  are  alwavs  busy  in  evil,  both  among  men,  and  in 
the  mountains,"  he  answered. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  the  old  Juniala  (the  heathen  god)  ?" 

I  understood  from  his  answer  that  he  considered  Jumala 
to  be  Satan. 

He  professed  also  his  belief  in  Christ  as  "part  man  and 
part  God." 

I  asked,  finally,  whether  he  would  like  to  live  in  the  cities, 
to  go  into  business,  and  make  money,  and  have  a  fine  house. 

He  made  a  gesture  of  utter  disgust.  "  He  would  not 
hear  of  it  ;  he  was  only  used  to  this,"  and  he  stretched 
out  his  hand  to  the  mountains  and  clouds.  "  He  could 
not  leave  the  rocks  and  the  reindeer.  He  would  die  1" 


116  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

There  was  something  in  his  simple  and  sententious  replies 
that  impressed  one  much.  His  manner  was  very  serious, 
and  as  it  were,  half-abstracted,  as  if  of  a  man  living 
habitually  under  principles  and  thoughts,  not  seen  by  the 
eye  or  easily  expressed.  He  seemed  a  savage  when  I  first 
addressed  him,  but  I  shook  hands  with  him  at  parting, 
as  if  we  belonged  to  more  than  the  Brotherhood  of  hu 
manity. 

The  old  chief  had  returned  now  from  taking  care  of 
the  reindeer.  I  was  introduced  to  him,  as  from  America. 
His  countenance  lighted  up  at  once,  and  he  said,  "There 
is  where  the  son  of  Lestadius  has  gone.  Does  the  gentle 
man  know  him  ?"  I  said  no  ;  though  I  had  often  heard 
the  name  of  the  good  man. 

He  seemed  pleased  ;  and  spoke  a  few  words  more  of 
the  old  missionary  with  great  feeling.  We  held  then  an 
other  theological  conversation.  His  replies  were  by  no 
means  so  original  as  those  of  the  young  man,  and  were 
mostly  Scripture  phrases. 

Once  he  said,  in  reply  to  a  question  about  the  future 
life,  "  Men  are  on  earth,  the  bad  below,  and  the  good 
above." 

Of  the  wicked  ?  "  They  go  into  everlasting  punishment." 
Of  Jumala  and  the  heathen  superstitions,  he  expressed 
an  utter  disbelief.  "  Is  there  any  fear  of  demons  or  evil 
spirits  now  among  your  people  ?" 

"No  ;  except  with  the  poorest  persons.  We  believe  in 
the  Redemption  through  Christ.  We  do  not  care  for  any 
thing  else." 


RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS.  117 

Is  there  much  drinking  in  your  tribe  ?" 

"No,  none.  We  never  drink  now.  The  spirit  of  God 
has  been  among  us." 

I  tried  to  draw  out  something  more  about  this  strange 
Revival.  He  would  not  answer  much  ;  but  what  he  said, 
was  spoken  with  great  solemnity. 

His  opinions  on  religious  facts  were  very  clear.  It  struck 
me  that  he  generally  felt  himself  too  far  advanced  for 
my  questions.  At  the  close,  he  turned  suddenly  to  me 
with  the  remarkable  question,  "  Does  the  gentleman  be 
lieve  in  baptism  of  children  ?"  My  friends  explained  that 
this  subject  was  greatly  agitated  just  now  among  the  Lapps, 
and  that  there  were  two  parties  on  it. 

This  chief  was  a  believer  in  the  old  creed  of  the  baptism 
of  children. 

I  felt  diffident  about  explaining  my  own  views,  knowing 
that  my  Norwegian  friends  would  look  on  a  doubter  of 
that  article,  as  some  one  quite  out  of  the  pale  of  society, 
and  perhaps  a  little  crazed.  I  explained  that  the  majority 
of  the  Christian  Church  in  America,  and  my  own  religious 
friends,  generally  believed  in  it,  but  that  I,  historically  and 
morally,  preferred  it  as  a  sign  of  voluntary  conversion,  or 
union  with  the  religious  body. 

The  most  touching  and  interesting  thing  to  me  in  the 
conversations,  was  the  evident  feeling  towards  the  old  Mis 
sionary,  Lestadius,  and  the  deep,  solemn  religious  faith 
which  they  had  gained  from  him. 

There  are  many  splendid  monuments  scattered  over  the 
world  for  the  great  and  wise,  but  what  of  them  could  be  half 


118  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

so  beautiful  as  the  unspoken  gratitude  and  daily  memory 
inciting  to  noble  thoughts,  in  the  hearts  of  such  poor  crea 
tures  as  these  ?  One  could  die  happy,  to  know  that  one's 
name  was  thus  breathed  with  the  prayers  of  the  depressed 
and  the  ignorant  1 

About  ten  o'clock,  we  started  on  our  walk  back,  in  a 
beautiful  afternoon  sun-light.  The  sky  was  soft  and  genial 
in  tone,  and  the  colors  like  those  of  an  Indian  summer, 
delicate  violet  and  warm  purple,  with  a  dreamy  haze  on  the 
horizon.  Our  common  coats  felt  too  warm.  We  had  left 
our  thermometer  behind,  but  I  am  assured  it  frequently  rises 
at  this  season  to  94°  Fahrenheit.  Think  of  this  in  the  lati 
tude  of  Greenland  and  Baffin's  Bay  (69°  40')  ! 

In  walking  through  the  thicket,  I  was  in  company  with 
an  intelligent  gentleman  of  Tromsoe,  and  we  had  some  con 
versation  on  the  replies  of  the  young  Lapp. 

"  There  was  something  very  peculiar  about  that  Lesta- 
dius,"  said  he  ;  "his  great  talent  lay  in  a  kind  of  sensuous 
and  vivid  presenting  of  Scripture  truth,  which  often  was 
really  coarseness.  I  remember  an  instance.  He  had  been 
once  speaking  of  believers  partaking  of  the  communion  sup 
per,  and  then  going  off  to  commit  sin,  just  as  before.  '  Ye 
eat  the  body  of  Christ  1'  said  he.  '  Does  it  digest  ?  Do 
ye  take  it  into  your  vitals  ?  Does  it  become  your  blood  and 
your  life  ?  No  :  ye  are  hypocrites  !  Ye  go  out  into  secret 
places  and  spit  it  all  out  /' " 

Another  time  he  was  preaching  of  the  marriage  of  the 
Church  to  Christ.  "  Do  ye  call  yourselves  brides  of  Christ, 


WALK   BACK.  119 

ye  selfish  and  sensual  Christians  !  No  :  ye  were  never  mar 
ried.  Ye  are  prostitutes  and  harlots  !  Beasts  have  ye 
married  !" 

"  Still,"  said  my  friend,  "  he  had  a  way  of  coming  straight 
to  the  conscience  of  these  poor  creatures  in  a  wonderful 
manner,  and  he  spent  his  life  among  them." 

I  asked  what  he  considered  to  be  the  cause  of  this  reli 
gious  movement  among  them. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  he,  "  that  the  preaching  of  Lesta- 
dius  was  the  origin  of  it  ;  and  then  the  grand  solitary  Na 
ture  in  which  these  people  live,  has  cultivated  the  deepest 
religious  feeling.  People  call  it  fanatical— and  so  it  is — 
still  I  have  been  the  witness  that  it  has  called  forth  even 
among  the  Norwegians  in  Tromsoe,  the  most  serious  and 
solemn  desires  to  live  more  really  for  what  is  not  seen — and 
I  know  that  the  influence  has  been  exceedingly  deep  and 
powerful  on  the  morals  and  life  of  many  people. 

"  Whether  it  may  be  God's  spirit,"  he  continued,  "  or 
some  less  natural  influence,  I  believe  that  now  all  through 
Europe,  there  are  strong  movements  for  a  more  deep  and 
real  religious  life.  We  hear  of  it  in  Switzerland  and  in  Ger 
many,  and  even  in  France." 

Such  words  spoken  under  the  shadow  of  great  mountains, 
with  the  silent  grandeur  of  Nature  solemnly  attesting,  where 
no  other  ear  listens,  from  stranger  to  stranger,  crossing  each 
other's  paths  a  moment  on  the  endless  journey,  have  an  effect 
which  in  no  way  appears  on  paper  or  when  repeated  after 
wards. 

When  we  reached  the  boats,  our  ladies  were  very  much 
fatigued,  so  that  we  left  them  on  the  steamer,  and  we  went 


120  THE    NORSE    FOLK. 

across  to  take  supper  with  our  friends.  It  was  now  half 
past  eleven — the  children  were  up  at  the  house  and  the  sun 
poured  a  blaze  of  light  into  the  rooms.  After  a  pleasant 
meal,  we  bade  good-bye,  and  towards  one  o'clock  came  on 
board  the  steamer,  while  the  rising  run  was  lighting  up  the 
whole  Fiord.  It  was  impossible  to  sleep  under  the  beautiful 
morning,  and  we  walked  the  decks  in  the  mild  summer  air, 
and  talked  of  the  interesting  day  and  the  pleasant  people  of 
Tromsbe,  till  the  morning  of  more  southern  latitudes  had 
really  come. 

COAST   VOYAGE. 

We  stopped  again  at  Alten  on  our  voyage  back,  and  as 
we  lay  at  anchor,  the  Baron  Djunkowski,  or  Pere  Etienne, 
the  head  of  the  Catholic  Mission,  came  aboard.  He  was  a 
small,  dark,  quick  man,  with  Russian  features,  who  impressed 
you  at  once  as  a  person  of  marked  ability.  His  tact  and 
readiness  in  the  twenty  minutes  which  he  spent  on  the  deck 
of  the  steamer,  were  extraordinary.  Each  person  he  ad 
dressed  in  his  own  language — (I  heard  him  speak  five  lan 
guages  in  that  time),  and  to  each  he  spoke  just  what  was 
most  likely  to  be  in  accordance  with  his  habits  of  thought. 
To  me  he  said,  after  a  few  words,  "  We  are  attempting  here, 
sir,  just  what  you  in  America  have  so  nobly  solved — the  ques 
tion  of  toleration  of  all  sects,  under  the  law.  It  is  the  ques 
tion  of  liberty  !  I  do  hope,  sir,  to  visit  one  day  your  conn- 
tree.  The  Church  Catholique  owes  to  it  much  gratitude.  1 
have  not  the  pleasure  of  knowing  many  of  the  Catholique 
clergy  in  America,  but  we  hear  of  Archbishop  Hughes.  ] 
hope  to  see  America — the  land  of  the  future  1" 


THECOAST.  121 

I  wished  him  every  success  in  his  struggle  for  religious 
toleration,  and  we  parted  very  cordially. 

We  stopped  but  a  half-day  at  Trondhjem,  and  took  leave 
of  our  pleasant  company  and  the  gentlemanly  captain,  to 
take  a  large  Hamburg  steamer,  for  Bergen.  Our  new  cap 
tain  again  speaks  English  excellently.  We  meet  many  of  the 
fishing-boats,  or  jechts,  bound  from  Bergen  for  Fimnark. 
They  make  two  voyages,  one  in  the  spring  for  oil,  and  an 
other  for  fish.  The  salt  fish  is  sent  to  Spain  ;  the  dried,  to 
Italy,  and  sometimes  to  South  America.  Our  captain  says, 
there  is  a  great  change  in  the  habits  both  of  the  boatmen 
and  fishermen  within  a  few  years  :  so  much  less  intoxica 
tion.  He  attributes  it  in  part,  to  the  greater  import  and 
use  of  coffee  in  place  of  liquors. 

The  coast  between  Trondhjem  and  Bergen  is  very  rich  in 
historic  associations.  A  Norwegian  was  on  board,  who  had 
been  employed  by  government  in  selecting  sites  on  the 
coast  for  lighthouses.  Though,  apparently,  not  an  educated 
man,  he  knew  perfectly  every  scene  celebrated  in  the  ancient 
history  and  sagas  of  the  country.  He  pointed  me  out  many 
famous  burial  mounds,  where  already  some  of  the  most  inter 
esting  objects  of  antiquity  had  been  found.  He  stated,  and 
I  find  that  to  be  the  general  opinion,  that  the  abandonment 
of  agriculture  for. fishing,  had  greatly  reduced  the  population 
of  the  coast,  and  that  the  country  produced  more  in  the 
twelfth  century  than  it  does  now  ;  "  in  1812,  there  was  such 
a  famine,  that  people  were  obliged  to  eat  the  bark  of 
trees." 

These  views  are  to  be  received  with    much  allowance. 

6 


122  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

From  the  nature  of  the  soil,  and  the  appearance  of  the  coast, 
it  does  not  seem  possible  it  could  ever  have  supported  a  very 
numerous  population  by  agriculture.  When  men  lived  prin 
cipally  by  hunting  and  fishing,  I  can  well  understand  that  a 
country  like  Norway,  with  its  deep  Fiords  and  inaccessible 
forests,  the  refuge  of  wild  animals  of  every  kind,  might  have 
been  much  more  resorted  to  than  the  more  open  and  fertile 
lands  to  the  South,  and  that  thus  a  population  might  have 
sprung  up,  very  numerous  in  proportion  to  the  resources  of 
the  country.  This,  with  the  confusion  of  names  for  different 
tribes,  is  the  probable  cause  of  the  representation  by  ancient 
writers,  of  the  immense  population  of  Scandinavia. 

Molde. — This  is  one  of  the  most  Swiss-like  villages  in 
Norway.  It  is  built  on  the  edge  of  what  seems  a  lake, 
though  really  a  Fiord,  with  green  fields  and  wooded  hills 
rising  abruptly  behind,  till  they  disappear  among  mountains 
The  front  is  sparkling  water,  with  a  fore-ground  of  sharp 
jutting  snow-peaks.  We  counted  eighty-one  at  one  point 
of  view.  The  air  has  been,  to-day,  the  most  deliciously 
balmy ;  the  fresh,  green,  and  luxuriant  grain,  and  the  foliage, 
are  inexpressibly  soothing  and  pleasant  after  our  Arctic 
voyage.  There  is  such  a  softness  and  beauty  over  every 
thing,  that  we  seem  to  be  in  one  of  our  .American  summer 
scenes  rather  than  in  Norway.  The  yards  are  fresh  with 
dear  old  New  England  flowers,  lilacs,  laburna,  and  violets, 
and  roses.  I  have  just  passed,  in  our  ramble,  a  grave-yard, 
beautifully  set  with  flowers  like  a  garden.  Often  one  sees  that 
affectionate  piety  in  these  northern  countries,  and  what  a 


A   PRECIPICE.  123 

contrast  are  their  church-yards  to  our  desolate,  forsaken 
places  for  the  dead  in  America. 

The  beautiful  twilight,  with  its  soft  skies,  and  gentle,  quiet 
and  uncertain  light,  has  come  again  after  our  long  day,  and 
the  lamp  and  the  closed  curtains  are  most  home-like,  after 
twelve  or  fourteen  days  of  sunlight. 

Aalesund. — The  towns  on  this  coast  are  wonderfully  pic 
turesque.  This  is  built  among  bare  rocks  which  are  cur 
tained  in  vines,  or  green  with  fresh  grass  ;  and  as  you  walk 
along  the  streets,  your  path  seems  to  terminate  in  the  hill 
side,  or  the  cliffs  when  you  find  it  suddenly  works  through 
on  another  group  of  houses  among  the  rocks,  or  leads  over 
to  some  pretty  little  island. 

The  great  business  is  the  fishing  and  export  of  herring 
and  cod.  The  latter  is  sent  even  to  Italy  and  Spain. 

July . — On  our  voyage  to-day  we  passed  a  remarkable 

headland,  with  a  sheer  precipice  of  1,200  feet  into  the  Fiord 
— Hornelen.  The  sailors  and  cragsmen  have  often  attempted 
to  scale  it  and  reach  the  summit,  but  in  vain.  Several  lives 
are  said  to  have  been  lost  in  the  effort,  at  different  times. 
The  tradition  which  perhaps  impels,  is  that  one  of  the  old 
gigantic  Vikings — Olaf  Trygveson,  I  think,  laid  a  wager 
that  he  would  climb  it  in  his  armor.  He  started  with  a 
brave  peasant,  and  after  reaching  a  certain  point  in  the  dif 
ficult  ascent,  the  man  dared  neither  go  farther  nor  recede. 
The  powerful  Viking  took  the  poor  fellow  under  his  arm, 
reached  the  summit,  waved  his  sword  in  the  air,  and  brought 
the  man  down  safely  again. 


CHAPTER     X. 

THE    NORTHMEN. 

WE  have  just  passed  an  island — Vigr — in  which  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  and  heroic  of  the  cruel  pirates  of  the 
North  had  his  residence — afterwards  the  founder  of  the  line 
of  Norman  dukes  in  France,  and  the  ancestor  of  the  Eng 
lish  kings  and  of  half -of  the  royal  families  of  Europe — Hollo, 
or  ROLF  GANGER  (Ralph,  the  Walker),  so  called  because  his 
great  size  crushed  any  horse  he  would  mount,  and  he  was 
obliged  in  consequence  to  walk.  This  coast  which  we  are 
passing,  with  its  multitudinous  friths,  or  fiords,  encouraging 
a  constant  trial  of  the  sea — its  jutting  rocks,  where  the 
slender  soil  only  in  favorable  seasons  could  support  the 
inhabitants — was  a  natural  home  for  that  daring  race  of 
pirates  and  filibusters,  who  scourged  Europe  for  so  many 
centuries,  and  who  finally  infused  their  savage  vigor  into  its 
effeminated  and  superstitious  people.  Whatever  be  the 
attractions  of  scenery  or  of  the  existing  institutions  in 
Norway  to  the  traveller,  the  great  interest  to  the  student 
of  history  for  evermore,  is  the  thought  of  its  wonderful 
Past.  Though  such  vague  associations,  with  all  their  con 
stant  charm,  are  not  capable  of  being  expressed,  yet  they 

124 


THE   OLD   NORTHMEN.  125 

are  called  unceasingly  forth  in  this  country  by  every  familiar 
object. 

The  type  of  the  features,  the  color  of  the  hair,  the 
stature  of  the  men,  the  form  of  the  houses,  and  the  mould 
of  the  fishing-boats  ;  the  scanty  soil  and  the  stern  cliffs  ; 
the  names  of  persons  and  of  objects  ;  the  titles,  the  laws, 
and  the  institutions — all,  in  one  mode  or  another,  remind  of 
that  powerful  race  to  whom  England  and  America  owe  their 
fame  and  their  good  work  in  the  world. 

One  continually  asks,  what  it  was  in  the  rocks,  the  air,  or 
the  sea,  which  made  such  a  people  of  conquerors.  One 
wonders  how  it  was  that  a  country  which  now  has  hardly 
more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  men,  could  a  thousand 
years  before  have  sent  such  destructive  and  conquering 
armaments  against  the  most  powerful  nations  of  Europe.* 
Norway  is  fortunate  in  still  possessing  a  people  who  are  not 
degraded  in  the  comparison  of  manhood  with  their  uncon 
querable  forefathers.  In  Denmark,  one  cannot,  in  the  char 
acter  of  the  people,  trace  the  historic  descent  from  the  Dan 
ish  Northmen.  Among  the  Norwegians,  one  feels  that  the 
same  stuff  is  still  there,  and  the  same  essential  elements  of 
nature. 

*"King  Canute  the  Great  sailed  to  England  with  1,000  great 
vessels;  Knut  Sveinson  came  to  Norway  with  1,200  ships;  Harold 
Gormson  sailed  from  Denmark  with  700  vessels ;  Eymundi  made  an 
expedition  against  Norway  with  600  ships;  and  the  Jombourg  Vi 
kings  alone  had  180." 

The  common  vessels  had  30  oars  and  200  men  each,  and  could 
carry  sail. —  Weinholtfs  Alt-Nordisches  Leben. 


126  THE    NORSK- FOLK. 

To  many  readers,  who  only  vaguely  know  that  Normandy 
and  England  were  settled  and  conquered  by  the  Northmen 
a  brief  sketch  of  their  expeditions  may  be  welcome.*  T 
must  say  here,  that  I  use  the  name  Northmen  rather  than 
Normans,  because  the  latter  has  come  to  have  a  too  chival- 
ric  or  heroic  association. 

The  Northmen  were  simply,  through  some  eight  hundred 
years,  Northern  pirates,  of  the  most  cruel  and  bloody  class. 
They  had  various  names.  The  principal  one  by  which  they 
were  known,  Vikings,  is  derived  from  Viks,  or  Wicks,  the 
inlets  from  which  their  fleets  proceeded.  By  the  English, 
they  were  called  Danes  ;  by  the  French,  whom  they  continu 
ally  annoyed,  pirates  and  Northmen  ;  by  the  Irish,  whose 
island  they  approached  usually  from  the  east,  Eastmen  ;  in 
the  sagas,  they  have  the  common  title  of  Norwegians, 
though  they  came  from  both  branches  of  the  North-Teu 
tonic  race,  the  Danes  and  the  Norwegians.  The  Swedes, 
though  of  the  same  blood,  do  not  appear  to  have  been  often 
connected  with  their  sea-expeditious,  while,  on  the  land, 
they  gained  great  conquests. 

The  earliest  invasions  of  which  we  hear,  by  sea,  from 
Jutland  and  the  north  of  Germany,  were  against  Gaul,  in 
286  A.  D.  Nearly  at  the  same  time,  there  were  emigra 
tions  from  a  branch  of  the  great  German  family,  the  Sax 
ons,  to  England.  By  the  year  480,  Saxons  had  established 
colonies  in  Normandy,  at  Caen,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the 

*  The  facts  in  this  chapter  are  principally  drawn  from  Depping's 
Expeditions  des  Normands,  Thierry,  and  the  Heimskringla. 


THE   FIRST   EXPEDITIONS.  127 

Loire,  and  were  fast  changing  and  becoming  humanized 
under  the  influence  of  a  superior  civilization. 

In  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century,  they  had  also  been 
called  into  England,  to  aid  against  the  Celtic  tribes  at  the 
north,  and  thus  at  length  gained  a  firm  foothold  in  that 
island.  The  small  islands  neighboring,  as  well  as  Scotland, 
held  out  much  longer  than  England  against  these  invaders. 
The  Anglo-Saxons  were  early  converted  to  Christianity,  and, 
from  some  peculiarity  of  temperament,  appear  to  have  fallen 
especially  under  its  superstitions.  Their  success  in  England 
emboldened  the  Scandinavian  Northmen,  and  these  com 
menced  to  make  their  fearful  incursions  against  the  small 
islands  north  and  west  of  Scotland.  In  this  same  century, 
an  alliance  was  formed  between  a  Danish  Northman's  fam 
ily  and  a  Scotch  royal  family.  The  first  really  successful 
invasion  of  the  terrible  Northern  pirates  into  England  was 
made  in  193  A.  D.,  when  they  began  their  relentless  devasta 
tions  of  convents  and  churches,  which  they  continued  for  so 
many  centuries.  While  the  Northmen  were  thus  pressing 
the  Christianized  Saxons  of  England,  another  race — the 
Francs — were  just  about  breaking  the  power  of  the  same 
people  in  their  own  provinces,  in  Northern  Germany. 
Charlemagne  had  opened  his  vigorous  and  cruel  campaigns 
against  the  heathen  Saxons  in  Northern  Germany. 

This  great  leader,  though  successful  against  these  tribes, 
could  not  destroy  the  power  which  he  saw  would  soon 
threaten  all  civilized  Europe — the  piratical  and  fearless  sea- 
rovers  of  Norway  and  Denmark.  His  strong  hand  was 
able  to  protect  the  coasts  of  France  during  his  life,  but 


128  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

after  his  death,  Northmen  ravaged  unrestrained  almost 
every  coast  in  Europe.  The  people  seemed  everywhere 
to  have  become  weak  and  superstitious.  Feudalism  could 
do  little  against  the  fierce  democracy  of  the  Vikings. 
With  the  Northern  robbers,  each  private  soldier  was  a 
landholder,  and  an  independent  man.  Among  the  oppressed 
peoples  of  Europe,  the  soldier  was  a  serf.  Nor  could  the 
Christian  faith  in  amulets  and  relics,  and  masses,  stand 
beside  the  strong  Faith  of  these  Pagans  in  the  joys  of  Val 
halla,  reserved  for  the  brave,  and  their  trust  in  their  own 
right  arms.  They  burned,  plundered,  and  ravaged  with 
out  mercy  or  hindrance.  Convents  were  sacked,  churches 
robbed,  Christians  carried  off  as  slaves  by  the  thousands. 
Astute  and  supple,  they  used  wiles  where  they  could  not 
employ  force.  They  united  a  boundless  ambition  and  enter 
prise  with  the  most  firm  animal  courage,  and  a  reckless 
contempt  of  death.  Pain,  and  hardships,  and  dangers  were 
their  delight.  They  lived  in  the  excitement  of  these  perils 
and  exploits.  The  hope  of  booty,  the  lust  of  conquest, 
the  ideals  of  religion  and  of  poetry,  all  contributed  in 
stimulating  them  to  their  incessant  and  daring  expeditions. 
They  became  almost  irresistible.  In  one  century,  the 
ninth,  they  attacked  London,  burnt  Rouen,  plundered  Paris, 
and  took  Seville,  overrunning  something  of  France,  Scot 
land,  England,  Spain,  and  Portugal.  The  only  decided 
check  they  received  during  this  time,  was  from  a  people, 
equally  with  themselves  fired  by  fanaticism,  and  inured 
to  danger,  and  who  had  not  yet  learned  defeat — the  Moors 
of  Spain.  Hitherto  the  local  causes  which  had  originated 


THE   CAUSES.  129 

the  piracies  from  Norway,  had  been  the  uncertainty  of 
the  harvests  and  the  superabundance  of  the  population, 
almost  compelling  the  young  men  to  seek  their  fortunes 
abroad. 

To  these  was  added  now  a  political  cause.  Harold 
Haarfager,  the  first  king,  who  sought  to  make  a  united 
State  of  the  numerous  petty  kingdoms  of  Norway,  and 
who  first  attempted  to  put  down  piracy,  had  fought  in 
885,  one  of  the  great  battles  of  Norwegian  history  in  the 
Hardanger  Fjord.  His  opponents,  the  petty  chieftains  of 
Norway,  assisted  by  the  King  of  Sweden,  were  utterly  de 
feated  and  scattered  abroad,  and  the  Royal  Power  was 
henceforth  established.  The  refugees,  many  of  them  the 
bravest  warriors  and  sea-kings  of  Norway,  fled  to  distant 
islands,  and  formed  new  bands  of  pirates  and  freebooters. 

Some  took  refuge  in  Iceland,  and  founded  a  democratic 
Republic,  where  literature  and  law  flourished,  as  they  did 
nowhere  else  in  Northern  Europe,  in  that  degenerate  age. 
Among  the  countries  that  suffered  most  from  these  de 
feated  Vikings,  were  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland,  and 
the  small  islands  which  lie  adjacent. 

The  power  of  the  Norwegian  King,  however,  reached 
them  here.  In  the  Shetlands  and  Orkneys  he  extirpated 
utterly  their  bands,  and  gave  the  Orkneys  as  a  fief  to 
Rognvald,  the  father  of  Rollo  and  the  great  line  of  Nor 
man  kings. 

Rollo  is  the  first  of  the  Vikings  who  turned  his  successes 
to  solid  use,  and  who  can,  therefore,  really  claim  a  position 
in  history.  His  life,  too  varied  and  filled  with  incidents 


130  THENORSE-FOLK. 

to  be  told  here,  was  most  characteristic  of  the  times. 
Banished  by  his  old  friend  and  chief,  Harald  Haarfager, 
from  Norway,  for  acts  of  lawless  violence,  he  spent  years 
in  piracy  and  bloody  adventure,  until  he  obtained  a  foot 
hold  in  the  beginning  of  the  10th  century  in  Neustria,  or 
as  it  was  afterwards  called,  Normandy.  There,  at  Rouen, 
the  old  freebooter  and  pirate  married  a  Franc  woman, 
and  became  nominally  Christianized,  established  a  govern 
ment  which  became  known  as  the  most  settled  and  strong 
government  in  France,  and  whose  only  traces,  transmitted 
to  posterity,  are  the  most  severe  laws  against  rapine  and 
crime.  While  he  was  founding  the  line  of  English  kings 
in  Normandy,  his  brother  Rholland  went  to  Iceland,  and 
established  a  family,  who  are  said  to  be  still  known  as 
intelligent  and  industrious  farmers  in  that  little  island. 

The  Northmen  now  held  possession  of  Neustria  or  Nor 
mandy  for  several  centuries,  as  a  ruling  and  distinct  peo 
ple,  gradually  becoming  humanized,  and  feeling  the  soften 
ing  influences  of  Christian  civilization. 

With  the  efforts  in  Norway  and  Denmark  to  extinguish 
piracy,  and  the  success  of  the  Northmen  in  France,  the 
Viking  expeditions  were  coming  to  a  close. 

In  the  middle  of  the  tenth  century,  one  of  the  last  bands 
of  these  pirates  was  formed — the  Jombourg-Vikings  ;  and  in 
1015,  the  last  eminent  Viking  leader,  Olaf  Haraldson,  ap 
peared,  and  ran  through  with  his  bloody  course.  The  expe 
dition  in  the  eleventh  century  of  the  Guiscards,  the  descend 
ants  of  the  Northmen,  which  conquered  Southern  Italy,  had 
more  the  character  of  a  conquest  than  a  piracy.  In  the 


NORTHMEN   IN   FRANCE.  131 

Scotch  isles,  the  Northern  pirates  still  had  their  haunts  till 
the  thirteenth  century,  and  in  the  Orkneys,  Norse  was 
spoken  till  the  sixteenth  century. 

At  the  close  of  the  tenth  century  and  near  the  beginning 
of  the  eleventh,  were  those  peaceful  expeditions  of  the 
Northmen  which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  America,  but 
which  produced  so  little  fruit,  that  both  they  and  the  exten 
sive  colonizing  of  Greenland,  from  which  they  rose,  had  be 
come  one  of  the  fables  and  sagas  of  the  people,  and  till  a 
late  century,  utterly  lost  to  history. 

One  of  the  most  surprising  things  to  the  student,  with  re 
gard  to  the  settlement  made  in  France  by  the  Norwegian 
and  Danish  Yikings,  is  the  little  trace  left  afterwards  of  their 
occupation.  Though  holding  an  important  French  province 
for  several  centuries,  tney  ieft  behind  them  no  language,  no 
literature,  no  mythology  or  architecture.  Beyond  almost 
any  other  people  of  Europe,  the  Northmen  had  a  technical 
and  elaborate  system  of  law.  Only  one  or  two  traces  of  this 
appear  in  French  institutions.  So  completely  amalgamated 
and  mingled  with  the  French  population  had  the  Vikings 
become,  that  within  a  few  centuries,  not  even  their  origin 
was  known  by  their  descendants  in  Normandy.  Even  the 
Runes,  which  follow  their  course  in  other  countries,  are  not 
found  here.  A  few  names  of  places  and  towns,  a  few  words 
in  the  popular  language,  and  occasional  features  in  the  pea 
santry,  are  the  only  direct  traces  which  they  have  left  in  Nor 
mandy.  The  only  substantial  popular  benefit  which  history 
records,  as  the  fruit  of  the  Northman  conquest  in  France,  are 
the  vigorous  life  inspired  into  a  superstitious  peasantry,  and 
the  establishment  of  the  French  fisheries  and  marine. 


132  THEISTOKSE-FOLK. 

In  England,  on  the  other  hand,  with  a  race  more  kindred 
in  blood,  they  seem  to  have  united  more  naturally — the  two 
races  filling  out  in  some  degree  each  other's  deficiencies  and 
wants.  The  Northmen  had  already  gained  foothold  in  many 
provinces  of  England,  before  the  invasion  of  1066,  under 
William  the  Conqueror.  The  English  Saxons,  even  as  the 
other  Christian  peoples  on  the  Continent,  had  felt  the  de 
pressing  and  unmanning  influence  of  monkish  superstitions. 
They  had  become  a  weak,  almost  effete  race.  Industrious 
on  the  soil,  patient  with  mechanical  labor,  they  had  no  taste 
for  sea-faring  life,  or  the  dangers  and  toils  of  warfare.  They 
fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  vigorous,  relentless,  hardy  Northmen. 
Henceforth  England  had  stamped  on  her  national  character 
the  traits  of  the  Norwegian  sea-kings  ;  and  the  Ameri 
can  progeny  yet  bears  them  even  more  distinctly.  The 
boundless  spirit  of  individual  enterprise — the  love  of  the 
perils  of  the  sea  (which  the  Saxons  never  showed) — the 
recklessness  of  life — the  shrewdness  and  skill  in  technical 
law — the  fondness  for  wassail  and  wine — the  respect  for  wo 
man,  and  above  all,  the  tendency  to  associated  self-govern 
ment. 

In  Britain,  everywhere  have  the  Danish  and  Norwegian 
Northmen  left  enduring  traces — in  the  most  familiar  words 
of  the  language  ;  in  the  names  of  towns  and  villages,  of  hills, 
and  bays,  and  rivers  ;  in  customs,  and  games,  and  popular 
superstitious;  in  laws  and  institutions.* 

History,  in  recording  the  vices,  and  cruelty,  and  lawlessness 

*  Even  the  trial  by  jury  may  fairly  derive  itself  from  the  similar 
institution  in  Norway. 


THE  IK   INFLUENCE.  133 

of  the  Northmen,  will  admit  that  they  were  a  natural  pro 
duct  of  the  time  ;  and  that  only  such  vigorous  and  unspar 
ing  hands  could  have  cut  off  the  superstitions  and  corrected 
the  unmanly  wickedness  into  which  Europe  had  fallen. 
They  had  that  which  must  be  the  basis  of  character  in  Na 
tions,  as  in  individuals — physical,  animal  vigor.  On  that, 
Christianity  and  civilization  have  built  up  what  of  good  is  at 
this  day  to  be  seen  in  England  and  America. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

BERGEN. 

THIS  is  a  much  more  picturesque  town  than  is  commonly 
represented,  built  on  different  hill-sides  of  a  bay,  with  many 
heights  and  varied  surfaces,  and  broken  in  upon  in  part  by  an 
island.  We  found  here  some  very  cultivated  and  interesting 
people,  and  enjoyed  our  short  stay.  The  inns  are  wretched, 
beyond  description.  Everything  was  in  ferment,  in  view  of 
the  visit  of  three  Princes — the  Crown  Prince,  who  is  mak 
ing  a  summer  tour  in  the  beautiful  scenery  of  this  Province  ; 
Prince  Napoleon,  who  is  en  route  for  the  North  Cape,  and 
some  Italian  Prince.  .  Whatever  we  wanted  to  see — Church, 
Museum,  Library,  or  boarding-house,  was  being  prepared 
for  the  prince  !  Posts  were  being  painted,  walks  cleared, 
streets  cleaned  in  a  manner  most  unusual  for  this  steady  and 
dirty  city.  Bergen  is  the  great  commercial  city  of  Norway. 

It  is  perhaps,  also,  the  most  conspicuous  town  in  Norway 
for  its  institutions  of  charity.  With  a  population  of  28,000, 
it  appropriates  about  $80,000  per  annum  to  the  poor  and 
sick,  besides  the  moans  for  public  institutions.  These  are,  the 
Old  Sailors'  Asylum,  100—120  inmates  ;  the  Widows',  with 

184 


INSTITUTIONS.  135 

31 ;  the  old  Wardens,'  with  30;  the  old  Citizens',  60;  Leprous 
Hospitals — 500-600  ;  Hospital,  120  ;  Insane  Asylum,  50. 

The  mode  of  disposing  of  the  vagrant  and  criminal  chil 
dren  is  similar  to  that  adopted  by  private  organizations  in 
America — the  sending  them  to  individual  homes  in  the 
country,  where  responsible  parties  are  bound  to  support  and 
educate  them.  There  seems  to  be  a  very  regular  and  exact 
visiting  of  the  poor  by  public  Inspectors,  who  are  bound  to 
serve  without  pay,  for  four  years.  These  report  if  children 
do  not  attend  school,  or  are  vagrant,  or  falling  into  criminal 
habits  ;  they  also  dispense  assistance,  and  give  permits  for 
the  different  Asylums  and  Institutions. 

Of  its  Institutions  of  education,  beside  the  Real  schools, 
and  the  Drawing  Schools  for  workmen,  there  are  sixteen  Peo 
ple's  Schools  in  Bergen,  with  1,100  scholars,  supported  at 
an  expense  of  $6,000.  The  boys  are  taught  in  the  morning, 
and  the  girls  in  the  afternoon.  Each  school  "is  only  held 
three  hours  a  day.  Salary  of  upper  teacher,  $200  :  of 
under  teacher,  $100  per  annum. 

No  stranger  should  leave  this  city  without  visiting  the 
old  "  German  Church."  The  curious  gilt  carving  ;  the 
mingling  of  pictures  of  Catholic  saints  and  Lutheran  divines; 
the  odd  representations  of  Scripture  scenes  in  German  cos 
tume,  make  a  most  droll  and  quaint  picture  for  the  memory. 
We  spent  a  long  time  examining  its  curious  details. 

LEPROUS    HOSPITALS. 

July . — My  friend  Dr. ,  took  me  to-day  to  vari 
ous  Institutions  of  Bergen,  and  among  others,  to  his  Leprous 


136  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

Hospitals.  It  was  a  hideous  sight — the  first  I  had  ever  had 
of  that  singular  disease,  except  in  the  cases  we  had  seen 
occasionally  in  the  streets  of  Bergen.  We  passed  by  each 
patient,  the  Doctor  sometimes  taking  the  hand,  or  looking 
more  minutely  at  him.  Some  of  them  showed  faces  drawn 
down  and  distorted,  with  broad  deep  marks,  as  of  a  burn  ; 
others  had  huge  scaly  patches  crumbling  off  from  their  fea 
tures  ;  others,  red  rings  and  white  spots  around  their  eyes, 
and  the  eye  itself,  evidently  half-bleared  ;  some  were  lame, 
some  blind  ;  some  bore  the  white  scales  on  the  arms  and 
hands  and  every  part  of  the  face  ;  others  were  bleeding 
from  the  red  broken  seams  of  the  sores.  They  seemed  gene 
rally  quiet,  as  if  not  suffering  intensely,  but  hideous  and 
disgusting  beyond  description.  One  breathed  more  freely 
again  when  in  the  open  air. 

Dr. says,  that  the  difficulty  with  the  peasants  is, 

that  they  will  not  confess  their  disease  until  it  has  gone  too 
far  for  remedy.  It  frequently  follows  the  law  of  Syphilis, 
and  passes  over  one  generation,  attacking  the  third.  He 
attributes  it  mainly  to  the  excessive  eating  of  salt  fish,  and 
to  the  filthiness  of  the  peasantry.  There  are  two  Hospitals 
in  the  city — one  for  incurable  cases,  containing  one  hundred 
and  thirty  patients  ;  the  other,  a  new  building,  for  the  usual 
cases,  having  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  patients.  So 
far  as  I  know,  it  is  the  only  Hospital  for  leprosy  in  Europe, 
except,  possibly,  one  in  Italy. 

Bergen  sustained  its  character,  as  one  of  the  wettest 
places  in  the  world,  while  I  was  there.  The  days  were 
very  much  like  summer  days  in  Liverpool — sun-shine,  clouds, 


TEMPERATURE.  137 

showers  or  fog,  continually  succeeding  each  other.  The 
difference  of  climate  between  this  place  and  Christiania, 
is  striking,  as  showing  the  effect  of  a  seaboard  position, 
compared  with  a  continental.  With  Bergen,  the  flow  of 
the  Gulf-stream,  the  warm  return  trade-winds  from  the 
Atlantic,  and  the  peculiar  amphitheatre  of  hills,  at  once 
sheltering  and  condensing  the  vapors,  produce  an  average 
temperature  of  4 6°. 4 8  (Fahr.),  while  at  Christiania  it  is 
only  41°. 5,  and  a  fall  of  rain  and  snow  of  73  inches,  while 
at  Christiania  it  is  21.2  inches,  and  at  Upsala,  in  the  same 
latitude,  only  about  41.5  inches.* 

The  winters  at  Christiania  have  a  mean  temperature  13° 
lower*  than  at  Bergen. 

This  latter  is  not  considered  a  healthy  or  agreeable  place 
in  Norway. 

A  stranger  is  always  impressed  with  the  German  char 
acter  of  the  town,  the  old  Hanseatic  ware-houses,  the  faces 
of  the  common  people,  and  the  language. 

It  is  the  first  Norwegian  town  I  have  found  where  Ger 
man  was  more  spoken  than  English.  Whether  it  be  in 
the  climate,  or  the  dirty  habits,  or  the  food — consisting  so 
much  of  fish  and  oil — it  is  certain  that  nowhere  do  you 
see  among  peasants  and  poor  people,  so  many  distorted 
sickly  faces  and  diseased  bodies.  I  watched  for  an  hour 
on  a  market-day  the  current  of  peasants  pour  in.  It  was 
rare  to  see  a  tall,  strong,  well-made  man,  unflecked  with 
sickness,  and  without  some  kind  of  deformity.  This  is  not 

*  Forbes. 


138  THE    N  OK  s  E- FOLK  . 

at  all  the  common  observation  in  Norway.  Here  Syphilis 
and  Leprosy,  the  fearful  scourges  for  the  two  great  sins  of 
the  Norwegian  peasantry — licentiousness  and  filth — have 
left  indelible  scars. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

POSTING     TO     CHRISTIANIA. 

WE  are  again  off  in  our  little  carrioles  which  we  had 
left  in  Troiidhjem  during  our  Arctic  excursion,  and  then 
brought  on  to  Bergen  as  freight.  (Item.  The  freight  for 
a  carriole  is  the  same  as  for  a  lady  in  Norway,  i.  e.,  half  the 
full  fare.  Also,  let  travellers  be  warned  not  to  leave  their 
harnesses  behind  them,  from  too  much  confidence  in  hotel 
servants,  as  we  did  in  the  Hotel  de  belle  Vue,  Trondhjem  !) 
The  scenery  on  the  post  road  beyond  Bergen  is  very  much 
like  the  scenery  in  a  New  England  valley — the  Housatonic, 
for  instance — dark  hill-sides,  reaches  of  streams  in  the  valleys, 
woods  and  sudden  perspectives  up  a  long  opening  in  the  hills. 

Houge. — Small  station  with  stone  and  grass  roofs  among 
the  bare  hills  ;  peasants  making  hay  on  the  intervale  ;  the 
rows  of  drying-frames  looking  like  battalions. 

No  Norwegian  summer  scene  is  true  without  these  little 
frames  for  drying  hay.  The  object  is  to  dry  rapidly,  for 
fear  of  rain  in  the  changeable  summer-climate.  They  often 
seemed  like  little  ranks  of  soldiers. 

Garnoes, — Stop  for  breakfast — nothing  but  dry  oat-cake 
in  the  house  :  we  make  our  own  tea  :  no  bed-room  or  any 
other  accommodation,  if  one  were  detained  there. 


140  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

Our  carrioles  are  taken  apart  and  put  into  a  large  eight- 
oared  boat,  and  we  are  pulled  up  a  beautiful  lake. 

It  is  a  six  hours'  pull  for  four  men.  The  views  at  the 
other  end  are  grand  ;  immense  hills  rising  abruptly  for 
thousands  of  feet.  I  never  was  so  impressed  at  once  with 
the  poverty  and  the  industry  of  the  Norwegians.  In  a 
number  of  places  we  saw  men,  so  high  above  us  that 
they  seemed  mere  specks,  making  hay  on  little  ledges  of 
the  mountains,  which  could  not  be  thirty  feet  broad,  and 
rolling  the  bundles  down  to  boats  at  the  foot,  where  the 
only  access  was  by  water  and  where  a  false  step  would 
have  cast  them  down  a  thousand  feet.  Others  were  gather 
ing  in  the  same  perilous  way  the  green  brush-wood  for 
the  cattle.  Every  place  that  could  be  labored,  even  a 
small  bit  of  grass  by  the  shore,  showed  its  hay-frames  or 
laborers. 

It  is  a  poor,  hard  country  ;  that  is  the  strong  impression 
left  by  a  Norwegian  journey.  One  does  not  wonder  that 
the  people  leave  it,  and  yet  it  is  such  soils  that  grow  men. 
It  has  begotten  the  Northmen — and  all  that  has  sprang 
from  them. 

Dak. — We  lauded  here.  No  house  or  hut  in  sight ;  but 
a  few  skillings  set  one  of  the  men  running  to  the  post- 
station,  a  mile  or  two  distant.  I  settled  the  boat-account 
exactly  according  to  our  book  of  prices  ;  gave  the  gratuity: 
no  objections  were  made,  or  questions  asked.  They  put 
the  carrioles  nicely  together,  and  after  a  little  waiting,  we 
were  driving  off  again.  When  one  reflects  how  completely 
he  is  in  the  hands  of  these  boatmen  and  postmen,  in  such 


ROCK  STUDIES.  141 

solitary  places,  he  is  ready  to  give  full  thanks  to  Norwegian 
laws  and  Norwegian  honesty,  which  make  mountain-travel 
so  easy. 

The  drive  to  Dalseidet  was  grand — right  under  mighty 
precipices.  We  had  the  fastest  little  horses,  and  I,  a  post- 
girl  to  drive,  if  I  wished.  They  brought  us  wonderfully 
quick  to  another  lake,  with  the  most  impressive  and  grand 
aspects  we  have  yet  seen.  Here,  as  usual,  most  provoking 
waiting  for  the  people,  before  the  carrioles  could  be  taken 
apart  and  put  into  boats.  At  length  we  were  started. 
Every  fresh  scene  now  makes  us  say,  "This  is  the  finest 
yet  1"  On  the  Dovre  Fjeld,  despite  the  most  agreeable  nov 
elty,  there  was  a  slight,  almost  unconscious  feeling  of  disap 
pointment.  Here  there  is  none.  One  is  overwhelmed — 
crowded  with  the  scenes  of  power  and  beauty.  I  never 
felt  Swiss  scenery  so  deeply.  Yet,  in  enjoyment  of  Nature, 
how  much  depends  on  your  mood,  on  your  company,  on  the 
weather,,  and  the  nameless  power  of  shadow  and  light ! 

This  was  an  evening  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
enjoyed  it.  The  magnificent  sun-set ;  the  solemn,  massive 
hills  overhanging  and  the  fissures  in  deep  shadow  ;  the  still 
waters  ;  the  gloom  and  the  glory  which  lit  it  up — all  are  on 
the  memory,  but  cannot  be  put  on  paper.  In  several  places 
I  saw  a  beautiful  phenomenon.  The  rocks  on  this  lake,  or 
rather  fiord,  are  strangely  stratified  and  contorted — how,  I 
was  not  near  enough  to  determine.  At  a  distance,  the 
effect  is  as  of  the  most  gigantic  strokes  on  the  mountain 
side  by  a  great  artist,  as  if,  in  deep  feeling  of  beauty,  he 
had  drawn  curved  lines  of  shadow  or  different  lights  over 


14:2  THENORSE-FOLK. 

the  bare  rock.  It  is  only  when  you  are  near,  that  you  see 
that  this  torn  is  given  by  the  material,  and  not  by  coloring 
or  shadow.  Would  that  some  artist  or  photographer  could 
preserve  these  gigantic  rock-studies  I 

Bolstadoren. — Beautifully  situated  at  the  end  of  a  lake. 
This  is  a  favorite  spot  for  English  sportsmen.  The  English 
have  fairly  occupied  Norway  for  sporting.  Almost  any 
stream  of  any  value  for  salmon-fishing  is  hired  by  them. 
Some  have  even  bought  properties,  for  the  sake  of  the  fish 
ing — a  profitable  thing  for  the  country-people,  as,  of  course, 
the  sportsmen  do  not  want  the  fish,  and  bring  in  besides 
many  gains  to  the  peasants. 

We  had  here  a  delicious  supper  of  salmon  and  coffee. 
However  poor  a  Norwegian  inn  is,  one  may  nearly  always 
be  sure  of  fish  and  eggs,  and  good  coffee. 

We  had  again  another  water-journey  in  little  boats  ;  and, 
as  the  wheels  would  not  come  off  from  one  of  the  carrioles, 
it  was  put  into  the  stern  bodily,  with  the  wheels  .over  the 
side  in  the  water,  which  created  great  amusement  among 
the  peasants,  and  brought  after  us  the  shout  of  Dampbaad 
(Steamboat !) 

It  was  full  night  when  we  reached  Evanger,  but  we  were 
determined  to  post  all  night,  in  order  to  be  at  our  station 
fixed  upon  for  sleep.  We  set  off  under  the  moon,  in  most 
uncertain  and  romantic  light.  Between  twelve  and  one, 
there  began  to  be  a  glimmer  of  day ;  and  at  two,  when, 
thoroughly  tired  and  sleepy,  we  reached  Vossewangen,  it 
was  almost  broad  day-light.  The  people  were  easily  roused 
up,  and  accommodations  found. 


A    S  U  N  D  A  Y  .  143 

Sunday. — Fossewangen  is  in  one  of  the  most  retired  val 
leys  of  Norway.  It  is  built  on  the  edge  of  a  little  lake,  and 
steeply-sloping  hills,  covered  with  green  fields,  and  rich  ver 
dure  of  trees  come  right  down  to  it  on  either  side.  On  the 
west,  the  lake  opens  out  in  a  wide  reach  of  sparkling  water. 
The  little  brown  clusters  of  houses — which  make  the  gaarde 
or  farms — are  sprinkled  over  the  beautiful  hill-sfltes.  There 
are  some  thirty  or  forty  houses  in  the  village,  clustering  about 
an  old  whitewashed  church  with  black  spire,  of  an  indescriba 
ble  shape,  but  evidently  intended  once  to  be  a  cone.  There 
are  no  fences  about  the  houses,  and  everything  seems  open. 
It  is  an  exquisitely  beautiful  summer  day,  and  the  whole  vil 
lage  and  church  and  scene  have  left  on  me  such  an  impression 
of  peace  and  beauty,  as  scarcely  any  ever  has  done.  Early  in 
the  day,  the  Bonders  of  the  neighborhood,  the  famed  men 
of  Yoss,  and  their  families,  began  to  pour  in  for  the  Sun 
day's  service.  I  watched  them  from  the  hill.  Little  ponies 
brought  some  from  the  hills,  even  from  near  where  the  snow 
now  lies  ;  others  came  in  small  carts,  in  the  independent  lit 
tle  sulkies  or  carrioles,  or  on  foot.  Then  again,  a  party  in  a 
boat  crossed  the  lake,  picturesque  in  red,  and  white,  and  blue 
colors.  The  village  was  soon  filled  with  sturdy-looking  men 
in  blue  caps,  jackets  and  breeches,  and  with  women  in  most 
singular  costume.  I  went  early  to  the  church.  Before  the 
preaching  service,  the  communion  is  partaken  of,  and  I 
found  some  hundred  women  and  men  gathered  about  the 
altar.  There  was  on  almost  every  face  a  very  earnest  and 
devout  expression  ;  and  though  our  costume  must  have  been 
even  more  singular  to  them  than  theirs  to  us,  scarce  any 


144:  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

woman  turned  her  head  as  we  entered.  The  clergyman, 
dressed  in  black  cassock  with  a  stiff  white  ruff,  such  as  ap 
pears  in  the  portrait  of  Martin  Luther,  or  any  priest  of  his 
time,  with  his  back  to  the  audience,  was  repeating  or  chant 
ing  a  passage  of  Scripture.  He  then  turned,  and  made  a 
short  address,  which  was  very  intently  listened  to ;  and  then, 
as  the  co^nunicants  kneeled  at  the  altar,  he  placed  his 
hands  on  their  heads  and  repeated,  as  he  passed  from  one  to 
another,  "  Let  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  in  the  name  of  God 
the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Spirit  1"  This 
is  the  Lutheran  absolution. 

Of  all  the  quaint  things  about  this  village,  the  church  is 
the  quaintest.  To  describe  its  interior  would  be  impossible 
— so  broken  up  by  odd  unaccountable  galleries,  and  columns 
and  recesses.  It  is  one  of  the  first  Christian  churches,  built 
sometime  in  the  beginning  of  1200.  The  walls  are  of  stone, 
and  the  wood-work  usually  unpainted,  with  curious  imitation 
of  gilding  upon  it. 

The  prominent  object  in  entering  is  an  ugly  wooden  statue 
of  Christ  crucified,  placed  over  the  entrance  to  the  chancel, 
with  two  little  wooden  boys  holding  a  real  hammer  and 
whip,  and  other  instruments  in  their  hands,  intended  to  rep 
resent  the  Jews  and  their  instruments  of  torture.  The  flat, 
unpainted  board-ceiling  is  decorated  with  most  singular 
cherubic  heads ;  and  in  one  corner  is  a  picture  of  some 
Bible-scene,  in  which  Jerusalem  bore  a  strong  resemblance 
to  Bergen.  The  chancel  was  filled  with  old  rude  paintings. 

At  half-past  eleven,  the  other  service  began.  The  crowd 
of  women  who  had  been  sitting  on  the  grass  outside,  began 


CHURCH   COSTUME.  145 

to  enter  and  take  their  places — the  young  girls  on  little 
raised  forms,  in  the  aisles,  of  the  height  of  a  footstool,  and 
the  olcler  women  in  the  high-backed  wooden  seats.  Each, 
as  she  entered  her  seat,  kneeled  to  pray,  and  then  shook 
hands  with  all  near  her,  even  the  strangers.  It  struck  me 
as  a  beautiful  token  of  their  simple  faith,  and  of  this,  the  festi- 
ival  of  their  religion — worshp  first,  and  then  social  feeling. 

The  body  of  the  church  was  speedily  crowded  with  gaily- 
dressed  women,  and  I  certainly  never  saw  a  prettier  and 
more  healthy  collection  of  women's  faces.  All  ruddy, 
round,  with  genuine  good  expressions,  and  some  with  the 
most  finely-cut  features.  What  might  be  called  the  Nor 
man  type  was  the  prominent — slightly  aquiline  nose,  well- 
cut  nostril,  clear  blue  eye  and  light  hair,  the  forehead 
generally  not  high,  but  well  formed.  There  were  some 
very  common  faces,  but  richly  sun-browned  and  healthy. 
As  I  stood  by  one  of  the  curiously  twisted  columns  of 
a  gallery,  and  looked  through  the  entrance  into  the  space 
before  the  altar,  it  seemed  for  a  moment  like  some  scene 
on  the  stage — the  clergyman  behind,  in  his  long  black 
gown  and  stiff  ruff,  and  before  him,  continually  passing, 
without  our  seeing  where  they  went  or  whence  they  came,  a 
succession  of  the  most  picturesque  figures — first,  an  old 
woman,  in  a  white  triangular  head-tire,  reaching  a  foot  each 
side,  with  blue  dress  ;  then  one  in  black,  with  red  bodice, 
and  white  scarf ;  then  a  maiden,  with  her  own  hair  in  two 
plaits,  tied  around  her  head,  and  a  red  band  over,  and  in 
velvet  and  embroidered  bodice,  with  red  back  ;  and  so  on, 
in  the  most  singular  variety. 

7 


14:6  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

The  galleries  were  filled  with  men,  and  many  could  find 
no  place.  The  audience  throughout  was  exceedingly  atten 
tive,  and  solemnly  interested  ;  and  the  whole  gave  one  a 
most  cheering  impression  of  at  least  the  religious  feeling  of 
the  country. 

The  exercises  began  by  the  clergyman's  intoning  a  pas 
sage  of  Scripture,  and  uttering  a  short  exhortation,  after 
which  he  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  the  audience. 
Then  a  hymn  was  given  out,  the  number  of  which  had  been 
already  placed  in  large  metallic  letters  on  the  walls  ;  the 
singing  was  entirely  congregational,  and  of  the  most  screechy 
order,  continuing  through  some  thirty  verses.  After  this, 
the-  clergyman  ascended  the  pulpit,  and  uttered  a  fervent 
prayer,  apparently  extempore,  which  was  devoutly  listened 
to  ;  then  a  collect,  the  sermon,  prayer  and  singing,  and  the 
people  dispersed  through  the  village — some  to  eat  their 
meals  on  the  grass  ;  others  to  visit  their  friends,  and  the 
most  to  join  little  groups,  where  they  were  discussing  the 
public  events  of  the  time,  or  arranging  bargains  .for  the 
week. 

By  a  singular  chance,  there  were  two  other  persons  from 
America  in  our  inn — two  Norwegians,  who  had  been  some 
fifteen  or  sixteen  years  in  our  Western  country,  had  made 
their  fortunes,  and  were  returned,  partly  for  a  visit,  and  per 
haps  partly  for  a  speculation — to  bring  a  profitable  immi 
gration  to  their  own  "  claims,"  or  town-lots.  They  were 
said  to  have  left  the  village  poor  boys,  and  now  they  came 
back  as  grandees.  Through  all  Sunday,  there  was  u  levee 
of  their  friends  in  their  room,  smoking,  drinking  coffee,  and 


AMERICAN   NORWEGIANS.         14T 

occasionally  taking  a  bottle  of  wine.  The  contrast  between 
the  Americanized  Norwegians  and  their  countrymen  was  in 
structive.  These  two  were  complete  Westerners  of  the  mid 
dle  class — "hail-fellow"  with  every  one,  sharp,  alert,  self- 
asserting,  almost  nervous  in  busy  activity,  with  swarthy 
faces,  blue  coats  and  gorgeous  velvet  waistcoats,  and  very 
expensive  dress  and  outfit — using  the  worst  American  drawl, 
and  smoking  and  chewing  incessantly.  Their  friends  and 
companions  from  whom  they  came  were  stately,  moderate 
people,  dressed  in  national  jackets  and  breeches,  or  coats 
trailing  to  the  feet,  with  blonde  faces,  and  long  light  hair 
parted  in  the  middle.  The  women  in  red  bodices,  and  with 
brilliant  head-tire.  They  moved,  one  after  another,  with 
slow,  dignified  pace  to  the  inn,  and  in  the  rooms,  they  seemed 
like  judges  or  princes,  before  these  restless  poppinjays  of 
men.  Their  faces  had  an  austere  impenetrable  cast,  as  they 
watched  the  vulgar  activity,  or  listened  to  the  loud  stories 
about  the  American  Eden.  There  was  a  wonderful  revelation 
in  the  contrasts.  Only  once  the  national  reserve  broke 
down,  and  their  pride  in  their  successful  countrymen  burst 
forth — when  they  heard  the  Norwegians  talking  English 
with  us  they  laughed  in  exultation,  and  crowded  near.  I 
found  my  two  countrymen  very  good  fellows.  They  said 
their  journey  was  costing  them  frightfully,  as  every  one 
imagined  an  American  must  have  his  pockets  lined  with  gold, 
and  they  objected  to  no  bills.  We  had  often  encountered 
the  same  impression  about  ourselves,  and  had  pretty  effectu 
ally  corrected  it  for  future  American  travellers. 

They  found  Norway  horribly  dull — every  thing  so  much 


14:8  THE    NORSK -FOLK. 

behindhand — farming  fifty  years  behind  the  age.  They 
were  home-sick  already.  Yet  this  valley,  they  thought  one 
of  the  finest  districts  in  the  whole  country  :  wheat  ripened 
here  very  early,  just  below  the  snow,  and  all  the  other 
grains  :  the  orchards  were  good  :  farms  were  worth  from 
$2,000  to  $5,000  ;  but  the  people  were  slow.  They  would 
not  attempt  any  improvements. 

Then  they  could  not  stand  this  dress  of  the  women — 
waists  way  up  under  the  arm,  and  short  petticoats  !  They 
had  been  to  Church  that  morning,  for  the  sake  of  old  times, 
but  this  absolution  by  the  priest  was  too  much  for  them  ! 
"  It  is  behind  the  age,  sir  1" 

I  said  I  liked  the  services,  and  the  earnest,  devout  appear 
ance  of  the  people. 

"  Oh  yes  :  but  that  humbug  of  a  minister  !  He  won't 
come  near  us,  because  he  thinks  we  are  carrying  off  his 
people  to  America  !  Old  Norway  don't  do  beside  the  West, 
Sir  ! — Take  a  cigar  ? — We'd  show  'em  a  thing  or  too  if 
they'd  come  oute  to  Wisconsing  1  Git  back  to  Elecksion, 
sir  ?" 

"  Yes.     How  do  you  vote  ?" 

"  For  FREMONT — to  be  sure  sir  I" 

We  afterwards  visited  the  clergyman  to  whom  we  had 
previously  sent  our  letters:  He  was  just  hurrying  off  by 
post  (on  Sunday  afternoon),  for  Bergen,  so  that  we  did  not 
even  see  him.  The  parsonage  was  a  roomy,  comfortable 
house — and  we  spent  an  hour  with  the  family. 

Norway  has  had  a  great  reputation  for  hospitality,  but  it 


HOSPITALITY.  149 

deserves  it  now  no  more  than  France  or  America,  or  any 
country  with  hotels  and  steamboats.  There  is  too  much 
travel  for  people  to  be  able  to  entertain  strangers  :  and 
they  have  become  so  used  to  them,  that  a  foreigner  is  of 
little  more  interest  to  a  Norwegian,  than  to  a  New  Yorker 
or  Londoner.  Sweden,  in  my  experience,  far  surpasses  Nor 
way  in  genuine  hospitality. 


CHAPTER  XHI. 

EXCURSION   TO    YOKING    FOSS. 

THE  most  famous  water-fall  in  Norway  lies  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  this  village,  and  we  had  determined  to  visit 
it.  We  left  our  nice  inn  accordingly  in  our  carrioles,  at 
an  early  hour,  encumbering  ourselves  with  no  luggage,  for 
Graven.  The  way  was  a  by-road,  yet  here,  as  in  the  main 
routes,  I  was  surprised  how  well  the  road-building  was 
done.  It  is  a  marked  instance  of  the  success  of  individual 
effort  under  governmental  oversight.  Each  landholder's 
property  is  designated  by  little  stakes,  and  that  portion 
of  the  public  way  he  is  obliged  to  keep.  We  have  no 
roads  in  America  equal  to  the  Norwegian.  The  farms 
which  we  passed  on  this  route  were  uncommonly  good, 
the  best  I  have  yet  seen,  especially  those  around  the  little 
lake  by  Graven. 

The  scenery  was  interesting  ;  in  some  places,  really  impos 
ing.  Among  the  reminders  which  we  constantly  have  that  we 
are  among  our  forefathers,  was  the  use  on  the  farms  of 
the  long  well-pole,  with  a  weight  at  the  end — a  quaint 
contrivance  which,  though  common  in  New  England,  has 
almost  gone  out  of  date  in  Great  Britain.  The  post-boy, 

150 


L  AK  E-  Jo  UKN  E  Y  S.  151 

too,  spoke  in  Norwegian  of  "  baiting  (bede)"  his  horses 
at  the  inn,  and  of  "plying  (pki)"  between  certain  points 
— good  old  English  words.  At  Graven,  instead  of  row 
ing  across  the  lake,  and  then  taking  a  horse  over  the 
mountain  to  a  station,  where  were  boats,  we  were  per 
suaded  to  boat  the  whole  way  to  Vik.  Our  carrioles  were 
left  in  charge  of  the  station-master.  We  were  pulled 
up  the  little  lake,  passing  again  large  farms  with  people 
busy  on  the  hay  fields.  In  one  spot  we  noticed  a  remark 
able  bauta-stoue,  or  solitary  burial-stone  of  the  old  North 
men.  These  monuments,  passed  occasionally  in  all  parts 
of  Norway,  give  a  peculiar  association  to  the  lonely  lakes 
and  hills.  At  the  end  of  the  lake,  our  boatman  took  our 
wallets  and  shawls  on  his  shoulder,  and  led  us  on  for  a 
full  mile  to  a  boat-station — Eicle — on  the  Hardanger  Fjord. 
The  day  was  warm  and  beautiful,  and  the  sight  of  the 
neat  little  inn,  with  the  rich  wooded  heights  and  orchards, 
was  most  refreshing  after  our  long  Northern  experience 
of  barren  rocks  and  Arctic  vegetation.  Our  boatman  here 
gave  us  almost  the  only  instance  of  an  illegal  charge  (as 
we  discovered  afterwards),  which  we  met  with  in  Norway, 
still  it  was  only  a  few  shillings'  difference,  and  the  charge 
seemed  cheap  enough. 

We  took  our  breakfast,  procured  two  very  athletic-look 
ing  boatmen,  and  a  good  boat ;  these  filled  the  bottom 
with  branches  and  piled  our  cloaks  and  shawls  on,  and 
we  were  soon  having  the  most  delicious  gondola-like  voyage 
through  grand  mountain  scenery  I  ever  imagined. 


152  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

The  weather  was  splendid  ;  the  Fjord  sparkled  under 
cheery  sun-shine,  and  the  wooded  hills  were  sprinkled  with 
those  rich  dark  shadows  which  one  sees  in  our  American 
summer-scenery. 

Such  journeys  are  the  very  acme  of  luxurious  pleasant 
travelling.  You  have  the  wildness  of  savage  Nature  with 
something  of  the  conveniences  of  civilization,  and  the  satis 
faction  of  seeing  new  and  characteristic  features  of  a  coun 
try,  while  you  are  getting  an  invigorating  and  healthful 
exercise.  It  might  seem  rather  trying  for  our  American 
women  to  venture  on  such  a  trip  as  this  has  thus  far  been, 
but  it  is  wonderful  how  the  body  recovers  tone  from  this 
clear  mountain  air,  and  continued  movement. 

The  Hardanger  is  certainly  the  most  beautiful  Fjord  I 
have  yet  seen.  The  perspectives  at  some  points  were  ex 
quisite.  At  one  opening,  the  Folgefond  glaciers  appeared 
shining  coldly  among  the  green  hills.  The  general  charac 
ter  of  the  scenery  is  like  that  on  our  Maine  lakes,  only 
the  mountains  here  are  far  bolder  ;  wooded  points,  leafy 
islets,  narrow  openings  between  green  hills,  long  reaches 
up  sparkling  bays  with  snowy  mountains  for  back-ground, 
are  the  features  of  the  pictures. 

We  reached  Vik  in  the  afternoon.  Here  is  one  of  those 
desperately  poor  inns,  of  which  all  travellers  should  be 
forewarned — dirty,  with  no  food,  not  even  milk  for  coffee, 
and  a  pack  of  the  most  rowdy  and  drunken  fellows  hanging 
about.  It  was  the  first  instance  I  had  had  of  the  Nor 
wegian  intemperance,  of  which  so  much  is  related. 


A  MODEL   INN.  153 

The  landlady  and  her  family  were  in  singular  contrast 
with  their  surroundings,  and  seemed  very  decent,  respect 
able  people.  Some  of  her  children  were  in  America. 

We  met  here  two  agreeable  German  travellers,  who  were 
walking,  or  posting  by  chance  vehicles  over  the  mountains. 

The  book  at  the  inn  was  filled  with  bitter  complaints 
in  all  European  languages,  at  the  fare  and  lodgings. 

This  point  is  one  of  the  favorite  resorts  of  the  English 
yachts,  which  explore  the  Norwegian  coast.  We  saw  a 
number  of  titled  names  on  the  post-book. 

From  this  station  we  walked  a  half-mile  to  a  little  moun 
tain-lake,  and  there  took  boat  for  Soebo,  the  nearest  station 
to  the  water-fall.     It  was  dusk  when  we  reached  the  little 
inn.     The  people  had  evidently  never  had  strange  travellers, 
especially  ladies  there  before,  and  were  a  good  deal  con 
fused.     There  was  no  sitting-room,  but  we  were  lighted  to  a 
little  separate  log-cabin,  where  was  an  attic-room,  reserved 
for  the  furs,  linen,  etc.,  of  the  family.     This  produced  a 
rather  droll  consternation  with  the  lady ;   but  as  we  had 
made  up  our  minds  to  "  rough  it,"  for  the  sake  of  the  trip 
next  day,  there  was  no  grumbling,  except  when  an  unfortu 
nate  beam  crushed  out  the  only  bonnet.     They  did  all  they 
could  for  us,  but  the  appointments  were  unique.     The  man 
brought  up  water  in  a  little  milk-bowl,  and  a  piece  of  linen 
for  a  towel,  while  the  woman  got  out  her  best  damask  table 
cloths  for  sheets,  and  the  curious  colored  and  worked  cloths 
which  one  sees  in  all  the  cottages,  for  coverlids.     Dried  oat 
cake  and  milk  were  set  out  for  supper.     They  told  us  that 
generally  the  strangers  stopped  at  Vik  for  the  night,  and 

7* 


154:  THE    BT  OBS E  -F OL K  . 

therefore  they  were  not  prepared.  But  we  wanted  to  begin 
fresh  on  the  next  morning  for  the  mountain-climb,  and  had 
thus  done  in  one  day  what  the  guide-books  give  at  least  two 
days  for.  As  a  last  attention,  the  peasant  brought  us  a 
whisky-bottle,  and  a  little  lump  of  rock-candy,  locking  the 
door  of  the  house  as  he  went  out. 

Next  morning,  coffee  and  flat-bread  (dry  rye-cakes),  and 
goafs-cheese  were  brought,  us,  but  no  milk  or  cream,  as  the 
cows  were  all  away  on  the  saetter. 

A  nice  little  Norwegian  pony  had  been  already  engaged 
for  my  wife,  and  myself  being  on  foot,  with  a  guide,  we 
started.  The  pony's  equipment  was  original — a  saddle 
cloth  surmounted  by  a  side-frame  of  wood,  and  a  wooden 
stirrup  for  both  feet.  The  morning  was  very  fresh  and 
beautiful ;  and  our  path  for  a  long  distance  wound  in  an 
easy  way  along  a  dashing  torrent,  crossing  it,  at  length,  on 
a  dangerous-looking  bridge.  After  this  point,  the  road  was 
by  no  means  so  easy,  frequently  creeping  just  on  the  edge 
of  a  fearful  chasm,  or  clambering  over  smooth,  steep  rocks, 
where  a  stumble  of  the  little  animal  would  have  had  disa 
greeable  consequences.  Here  the  guide  led,  and  the  pony 
never  failed.  At  length  the  path  crossed  a  little  mountain- 
farm,  and  passed  over  a  well-constructed  bridge,  recently  refit 
ted  for  the  visit  of  the  crown-prince,  who  had  just  been  here. 

The  hills  rose  abruptly  to  a  great  height  on  every  side  of 
us,  and  the  only  escape  seemed  the  chasm  through  which  the 
torrent  broke.  We  were  at  a  loss  to  see  how  the  Great  Fall 
was  to  be  reached.  Suddenly  the  path  turned,  and  we  saw 
that  it  wound  by  zig-zags  directly  up  the  steep  hill  in  front. 


THE  MOUNTAIN   CLIMB.  155 

The  girths  were  tightened,  the  guide  took  the  bridle,  and  we 
set  ourselves  to  the  steepest  climb  I  ever  saw  a  horse  make. 
It  was  slow,  hard  work  ;  and  when  at  length,  on  a  sudden 

bend,  the  girth  broke  and  the  lady  disappeared  down  the 

* 
slope,  we  concluded  it  was  time  to  try  the  feet.     Luckily,  a 

little  grass  plat  among  the  rocks  saved  her  any  bad  conse 
quences,  and  the  pony  proved  perfectly  immovable.  The 
guide  too,  for  our  comfort,  pointed  us  out  a  rock,  which  he 
called  the  "  leg-breaking  rock,"  where  an  unfortunate  travel 
ler  had  fallen  from  his  horse  and  broken  both  his  legs.  At 
length,  after  a  long  pull,  we  reached  the  summit — 2,500  fed 
in  height — giving  us  a  grand  view  down  the  great  chasm,  as 
it  now  appeared.  The  path  now  led  along  a  plateau  of  wet, 
springy  ground,  for  a  mile  or  more,  until  we  began  to  see  a 
little  cloud  of  ascending  spray,  which  showed  the  neighbor 
hood  of  the  cataract.  After  passing  a  little  beyond  it,  we 
stopped  at  ja  solitary  cottage,  with  out-houses  and  cattle — 
generally  white  cows — around  it- — the  sater-calin  or  cot 
tage  for  the  mountain  pasture.  Taking  a  few  moments'  rest 
and  a  taste  of  the  delicious  milk,  we  started  for  the  water- 
fail.  We  were  almost  upon  it  before  seeing  anything  of  it, 
except  the  hurrying  torrent  above,  though  the  distant  roar 
was  long  audible.  The  guide  brought  us  suddenly  to  a  pro 
jecting  point  :  we  lay  down  and  looked  below  into  the  tre 
mendous  chasm.  The  water  comes  silent,  swift,  with  hardly 
a  foam,  to  the  ledge,  and  then  makes  its  quick  leap  of  850 
feet  into  the  abyss  below — but  though  a  stream  of  fifty  feet 
in  breadth  when  it  starts,  it  seems  never  to  reach  the  bot 
tom  ;  first  it  is  foam,  then  spray,  then  beautiful  descending 
wreaths  of  silvery  mist,  whose  intertwining;  arid  changing 


156  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

shapes,  quick  appearing  and  vanishing  in  a  thousand  fan 
tastic  figures,  one  can  watch  by  the  hour,  and  fancy  all  man 
ner  of  witching  Norse  Noke,  and  water- sprites.  The  gran 
deur  is  more  given  by  the  great  depth  and  the  worn  walls  of 
mighty  rock  below  than  by  the  Fall  itself.  Yet  even  the 
depth  you  do  not  appreciate  till  you  throw  a  stone  into  the 
chasm,  and  count  by  your  watch  its  time  of  descent.  The 
guide  was  in  great  terror  of  our  falling  in,  but  at  length  we 
got  rid  of  him,  and  placed  ourselves  in  good  positions  to 
silently  enjoy  awhile.  The  impression — as  at  Niagara — is 
first  of  fear — but  soon  becomes  one  more  of  absorption  in 
the  beauty  of  the  scene.  One  of  the  most  wonderful  fea 
tures  in  it  were  the  colorings  of  the  rock-walls — caused  by 
the  very  quality  of  the  stone — varying  from  the  most  deli 
cate  peach  to  the  darkest  brown.  As  I  lay  on  a  little  ledge 
of  rock,  a  ray  of  the  morning  sun  found  entrance  into  the 
cavity,  lighting  up  beautifully  the  dark,  seething  caldron 
below,  and  throwing  an  exquisite  little  rainbow  over  the 
angry  boiling  of  waters.  The  effect  was  wonderful.  One 
can  understand,  in  such  places,  the  Norsk  superstitions  of 
the  Noke — the  water-sprites,  who  fascinate  and  tempt  in 
the  beholder.  The  continuous  rush  of  the  waters,  the 
roar  below,  the  dancing,  fantastic  mist-wreaths  put  you 
into  a  dream,  so  that  you  can  hardly  force  yourself  to 
rise.  You  get  a  sense  of  the  continuousness  of  Nature,  and 
you  understand  that  strange  influence  which  so  many  idola 
tries  have  recognized,  of  absorption  in  the  great  displays  of 
natural  power,  as  if  one  would  gladly  be  swallowed  up  in 
and  become  part  of  such  grandeur  and  loveliness. 

With  the*  Voring  Foss,  the  effect  is  very  much  improved 


THE   FALLS.  157 

by  seeing  the  fall  from  above.  A  few  persons  have  been 
at  its  base  ;  there  the  scene  must  be  one  of  the  grandest 
in  the  world.  Its  height  is  variously  reckoned  from  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  to  one  thousand  feet. 

At  the  cottage,  we  found  a  book  with  the  names  of 
visitors.  I  had  thought  that  our  party  would  have  the 
first  ladies'  names — but  I  found  that  an  English  nobleman's 
family,  ladies  and  all,  had  made  the  climb  during  this 
season. 

Xo  American's  name  was  in  the  book.  After  some  re 
freshment,  which  we  had  brought  with  us,  we  started  for 
the  descent  under  a  hot  summer's  sun,  and  blessed  our 
prudence  in  having  made  the  ascent  at  so  early  an  hour. 
The  little  station  was  reached,  and  finally  Vik  ;  a  dinner 
of  salmon  was  ready  for  us,  and  at  five  o'clock  we  were  off 
again  for  a  twenty  miles'  row  in  the  night  with  the  same 
vigorous  boatmen  who  had  brought  us.  The  wind  was 
high  and  against  us,  so  that  it  was  two  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing  before  we  reached  the  neat  little  station  at  Eide. 

The  next  morning  we  continued  the  return-journey,  but 
from  ordering  horses  at  too  late  an  hour  at  Graven,  we 
were  compelled  to  wait  two  hours,  and  did  not  reach  Vosse- 
wangen  till  three  o'clock  of  the  third  day  of  our  excursion. 
In  general,  the  trip  would  take  four  or  five  days  from  this 
village. 

The  Falls  are  considered  a  great  curiosity  by  travellers, 
and  therefore  I  have  described  our  route  somewhat  mi 
nutely  ;  still  it  is  doubtful  whether,  with  all  the  time  and 
labor  required,  the  excursion  will  repay  most  parties.  The 


158  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

rows  on  the  Lakes  and  Fjords  were  the  best  part  of  it. 
For  the  most  impressive  scenery,  I  do  not  believe  the  travel 
ler  in  Norway  need  leave  much  the  beaten  path.  The  best 
scenes  in  Nature  are  always  those  which  you  do  not  expect, 
and  which  come  on  you  incidentally,  while  you  are  doing 
something  else  than  hunt  for  them. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

TOWARDS   GUDVANGEN   AND   THE    FILE    FIELD. 

WE  wished  to  reach  Gudvangen  that  night,  if  possible, 
and  we  posted  on  at  the  fastest  speed  we  could  command. 
The  little  ponies  trotted  like  racers  ;  the  country  was  a 
succession  of  green,  peaceful  landscapes,  with  pretty  lakes 
and  rolling  hills  while  a  soft  evening  sunlight  filled  the 
valleys.  As  a  sensation,  I  have  had  few  pleasures  like 
these  from  our  Norwegian  drives.  As  we  had  not  ordered 
horses,  we  were  everywhere  delayed  at  the  stations,  though 
paying  the  most  liberal  drink-moneys.  One  enjoyment  in 
waiting  was  picking  the  delicious  wild  strawberries.  The 
people  seemed  greatly  interested  in  us,  as  Americans,  and 
asked  every  sort  of  questions.  There  has  been  a  large 
emigration  from  all  these  valleys  to  our  West. 

At  first  in  our  journeys,  we  were  much  interested  by 
the  fact,  that  all  our  postmen  and  the  small  farmers  whom 
we  met,  were  "  going  to  America  next  Spring,"  but  we 
at  length  discovered,  that  "going  to  America"  in  Norway, 
was  like  "  going  to  be  good,"  or  any  other  good  resolution 
in  other  countries — always  belonging  to  the  next  year. 

159 


160  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

It  was  nine  o'clock  before  we  reached  the  last  station, 
Stalheim,  about  seven  miles  from  our  stopping-place.  We 
waited  till  half-past  ten  for  the  horses,  walking  on  a  little 
way  and  letting  the  post-boys  overtake  us.  It  was  twilight 
still,  and  the  view  before  us  was  one  of  the  most  extraor 
dinary  I  ever  beheld.  We  were  on  a  mountain-plateau, 
in  a  desolate,  barren  country  ;  a  little  distance  beyond  the 
road  seemed  to  plunge  down  a  precipice.  There  was  no 
thing  visible  but  a  dark,  yawning  chasm,  of  unknown  depth; 
no  gradual  descent,  or  any  objects  at  the  bottom  were  visi 
ble.  The  shades  of  night  added  to  the  fearfulness  of  the  view. 

Our  carrioles  overtook  us,  and  we  trotted  briskly  towards 
the  brink.  There  we  could  look  down  into  a  deep,  black 
mountain-valley,  and  distinguished  faintly  a  few  objects  far 
below  at  the  bottom.  The  road  which  was  to  take  us  down 
could  be  plainly  seen  even  in  the  darkness,  in  white  zig 
zags  of  the  sharpest  angles,  so  steep  that  we  seemed  right 
over  the  lowest  turn,  as  it  led  off  into  the  valley.  The 
scene  was  frightful — and  I  felt,  at  the  time,  the  grandest 
we  had  yet  seen ;  still,  with  all  that,  and  though  I  drove 
myself,  almost  hanging  over  the  horse's  neck,  with  this 
awful  chasm  below,  where  a  mis-step  would  have  plunged 
me  down  thousands  of  feet, — I  could  not  keep  awake  !  It 
was  most  pitiable.  I  seemed  to  myself  like  an  unfortunate 
gentleman  under  a  sleepy  sermon.  I  struggled,  cried  to 
to  the  horse,  looked  behind,  pictured  the  danger,  impressed 
myself  with  the  grandeur,  but  it  was  all  useless — my  head 
fell  forward,  and  I  was  waked  from  a  dream  at  every  new 
angle. 


A   WET   TK  IP  161 

Luckily  the  sure  Norwegian  horse  saved  me  any  bad 
effects.  The  road  in  the  valley  below  lay  through  a  pass  of 
perpendicular  cliffs,  nearly  six  thousand  feet  high.  We 
reached  Gudvangen  about  midnight — found  almost  every 
room  occupied  with  travellers,  but  at  length  secured  a  dirty 
sitting-room  and  doubtful  little  bed-room. 

The  next  morning  a  hard  rain  was  pouring,  still  we  both 
concluded  it  was  better  to  take  it  in  the  boat,  than  in  these 
miserable  quarters  ;  so  we  had  our  carrioles  and  baggage 
put  aboard  a  large  eight-oared  boat,  and  set  off,  on  a 
branch  of  the  Sogne  Fiord,  for  Leirdals-oren,  a  distance  of 
thirty-one  miles.  There  were  only  four  oarsmen,  and  we 
prepared  ourselves  for  a  long  day. 

Our  equipment  was  thoroughly  tested  on  this  day's  jour 
ney.  We  sat  for  eleven  mortal  hours  under  almost  incessant 
rain,  and  did  not  get  wet  or  suffer  any  inconvenience  from 
the  dampness.  My  wife's  aquascutum,  and  my  india-rubber 
pon.cha,  with  coats  and  umbrellas,  fully  protected  us.  But  to 
say  that  the  sight,  at  length,  of  a  large  modern  hotel,  in 
Leirdals-oren,  with  comfortable  beds  and  a  good  warm  sup 
per,  was  refreshing,  is,  as  the  reporters  say,  "a  feeble 
expression." 

This  Fiord  which  we  have  just  passed  in  such  a  wretched 
manner,  has  many  interesting  relations  connected  with  it. 
On  one  part,  the  scene  of  FrithioPs  Saga  is  laid — a  tale  so 
beautifully  rendered  by  Tegner.  The  upper  portions  con 
tain  some  of  the  most  inaccessible  valleys  of  Norway.  It 
is  related  of  one  village  on  it,  that  the  people  are  so  shut  in 
by  continuous  winter,  that  the  dead  are  preserved  frozen 


162  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

till  spring,  and  are  then  taken  to  the  distant  church  for 
burial ! 

0 

From  Leirdals-oren  the  road  continually  ascends  towards 
another  of  the  great  plateaux  of  Norway — the  Fille  Field. 
Along  the  stream  which  flows  through  the  valley,  we  saw 
numerous  salmon-fishers.  Some  were  English  gentlemen, 
with  their  guides.  The  most  interesting  object  on  the 
route,  was  one  of  the  ancient  Norwegian  churches  at  Bor- 
gund.  A  similar  one  near  Leirdals-oren,  was  bought  by  the 
King  of  Prussia,  and  carried  to  Silesia,  for  a  curiosity. 

This  church  at  Borgund  is  one  of  the  few  surviving  build 
ings  in  Norway,  and  indeed  in  Europe,  of  an  original 
architecture — the  architecture  in  wood  by  the  early  North 
men.  It  bears  marks  of  Byzantine  influence,  as  do  some  of 
the  oldest  cottages  in  the  country — an  influence  caught 
from  the  early  expeditions  of  the  Vikings  to  Constantinople, 
but  it  is  still  a  style  affected  by  Northern  climate  and  by 
the  material  used.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  describe,  and 
I  must  trust  mainly  to  the  accompanying  sketch,  to  give  an 
impression  of  it.  The  first  sensation,  on  coming  in  view  of 
it,  in  the  solitary  mountain-valley,  is  as  if  suddenly  seeing  a 
huge,  mailed  animal,  with  many  necks  and  heads,  resting  on 
the  earth — of  something  fantastic  and  living.  You  cannot 
in  the  least  understand  its  structure  or  shape  as  a  church  ; 
on  approaching,  you  discover  that  it  is  primarily  a  little 
building  of  Norwegian  pine,  with  cloisters  or  galleries  built 
out  on  it  in  double  rows,  the  first  making  part  of  the  inte 
rior,  and  the  second  being  really  open  galleries  or  arcades  in 


fW: 


A   UNIQUE  CHUKOH.  163 

Byzantine  style.  The  whole  is  covered  with  small  pointed 
shingles,  fitting  closely,  and  smeared  with  pitch,  giving  an 
appearance  of  scales,  or  of  a  coat  of  mail.  The  spire  has 
an  Oriental  aspect,  and  the  gables  and  summits  are  sur 
mounted  by  all  sorts  of  quaint,  tasteless  heads  and  angular 
ornaments — these  last  probably  being  the  first  fruits  of  the 
Renaissance  transplanted  here.  The  doorway  has  some 
curious  carving  in  wood  of  the  ancient  mythological  sub 
jects — the  Midgaard  serpent,  perhaps,  swallowing  the  works 
of  man  before  the  final  destruction. . 

The  nave  is  only  thirty-nine  feet  long  and  the  circular 
apse  fifteen  by  fifty-four.  I  mounted  a  ladder  into  its  singu 
lar  little  galleries,  and  saw,  over  the  organ,  a  full-sized 
stuffed  figure  of  a  reindeer. 

The  church  was  built  probably  within  a  hundred  years 
after  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  in  the  eleventh  cen 
tury.  It  owes  its  remarkable  preservation  to  the  dry  cold 
climate,  and  to  the  preserving  effects  of  the  pitch  on  the 
well-seasoned  wood. 

In  driving  over  the  highest  part  of  the  plateau  at  night, 
we  passed  a  solitary  saetter-cottage.  I  stopped,  waded 
through  the  mud,  and  rapped  at  the  door.  There  were  two 
pretty  young  girls  in  it,  without  light  except  from  the  fire. 
They  said  they  spent  three  mouths  there,  making  butter  and 
cheese,  and  scarce  ever  saw  a  human  being.  In  the  autumn, 
they  drove  the  cows  down  the  mountain  again.  They  had 
eighty  cows  in  this  pasture,  beside  goats  and  horses.  De 
spite  the  lonely  life,  they  looked  very  merry  and  blooming — 


164:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

"  Wer'n't  they  afraid  ?"  "  Oh  no  :  there  were  no  bears  there 
except  in  winter." 

Our  post-boy  says,  that  these  mountain-pastures  are  ex 
cellent,  and  that  if  they  did  not  use  them  in  this  way,  they 
should  not  be  able  to  get  the  hay  down. 

We  stopped  at  a  very  good  station,  in  a  lonely  place, 
3,170  feet  above  the  sea — Nystuen — with  only  the  poorest 
vegetation  surrounding  it,  and  high  poles,  like  telegraph- 
poles,  on  all  the  roads,  to  mark  the  path  in  the  deep  snow. 
The  triangular  wooden  snow-plow,  seen  at  every  little 
distance,  on  the  side  of  the  road,  shows  the  wintry  situ 
ation. 

A    PARSONAGE. 

I  had  a  card  of  introduction  to  Pastor  S ,  at  X , 

but  from  my  experience  thus  far  of  Norwegian  pastors  was 
doubtful  whether  to  stop,  even  to  make  inquiries.  I  con 
cluded  at  length,  however  to  do  so,  for  a  few  moments.  A 
stout,  hearty  gentleman,  with  a  pipe,  came  to  the  door.  He 
glanced  over  the  card — "  Velkommen  !  welcome  1"  he  said, 
with  a  most  cordial  shake.  A  lady  of  sweet  countenance 
was  introduced  as  his  wife,  and  they  went  out  to  take  my 
wife  from  her  vehicle  and  bring  her  to  the  house.  They 
almost  insisted  we  should  spend  some  days  with  them,  but 
we  alleged  our  haste,  and  said  we  would  merely  pass  an 
afternoon,  and  a  pleasant  afternoon  it  was.  We  chatted 
with  the  pastor,  enjoyed  a  social  family  dinner,  and  walked 
over  the  grounds  of  the  parsonage. 

T  was  asking  of  the  number  of  people  in  the  parish.  "  It  is 


A   HEAKTY   PASTOR.  165 

about  2,900,"  the  pastor  said,  "and  we  have  five  churches. 
Ach  !  Herr  B.,"  he  continued,  in  German,  "this  is  easy 
work  to  what  I  have  had  in  my  life.  Once  I  used  to  have 
to  journey  five  miles  (thirty-five  English  miles,)  on  every 
holy  Sabbath-day — two  (fourteen  English)  on  the  water, 
and  two  over  mountains,  where  snow  was  two  or  three  feet 
deep,  and  then  I  would  find  three  hundred  poor  people 
waiting  to  receive  the  sacraments.  Here  it  is  pleasant,  if 
our  parish  were  only  out  of  debt." 

I  told  him  of  our  interest  in  the  old  Church  at  Borgund. 
"  Ach  yes  ! — and  to  think,"  he  said,  "that  we  should  have 
lost  that  other  beautiful  one.  You  know  that  Frederick 
William  bought  it  for  fifty-five  species  (dollars).  I  fear  this 
will  go  too  some  day,  we  are  so  poor  !" 

His  schools  seemed  flourishing.  There  was  one  established 
school,  and  four  circulating  schools,  passing  from  house 
to  house,  with  three  hundred  children  in  all  attending  them. 

His  salary  was  $500,  with  the  parsonage — (a  very  neat 
building  of  two  stories.)  I  asked  of  the  morale  of  the  parish. 
He  said  there  used  to  be  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  illegitimate 
children  every  year,  but  now,  since  he  had  come,  there  were 
not  more  than  five  or  six. 

He  showed  me  his  stables  ;  the  cattle  were  at  the  saetter's. 
He  had  twenty-five  cows,  and  seven  or  eight  horses. 

"  Do  you  see  that  stone,  Herr  B.,  under  the  stalls  ?  That 
is  a  lauta  steen,  with  runes.  I  will  read  them."  He  trans 
lated  a  burial  inscription,  as  usual,  of  little  importance.  I 
asked  whether  many  old  Norse  relics  were  found  still.  He 
said  that  the  most  had  been  gathered  and  sent  to  the 


166  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

museums,  but  still,  occasionally  they  were  discovered,  and 
the  peasants  had  much  reverence  for  them. 

"  Do  you  find,  Herr  Pastor,  many  superstitions  among  the 
peasants  ?" 

"  Not  as  many  as  formerly,"  he  replied,  "  but  still  a  few 
now  and  then.  You  see  that  mountain  over  the  valley 
there — with  snow  some  way  towards  the  foot.  There  is  a 
cavern  in  it,  from  which  sometimes  the  air  escapes  with  a 
loud  noise.  The  peasants  still  believe  that  it  is  the  demons, 
or  mountain-spirits  bursting  out  ! 

"  I  knew  a  cross  in  a  certain  burying-ground  once,  where 
the  peasants  used  to  go  to  be  healed  from  rheumatism,  and 
certain  other  disorders.  It  was  a  great  trouble  to  break  up 
the  superstition." 

We  had  then  a  very  interesting  conversation  together, 
about  the  Norwegian  superstitions.  That  multitude  of  little 
sprites,  fairies,  elves,  red-capped  dwarfs,  giants,  Nisser, 
Thusser,  and  Yaetter,  who  haunted  their  forefathers,  still 
pursue,  for  good  or  evil,  the  Norwegian  peasants.  They  are 
supposed  usually  to  be  the  fallen  angels,  who  had  not  sinned 
so  deeply  as  to  deserve  Hell,  but  who  were  scattered  over 
the  earth  in  the  mountains  and  waters. 

One  very  common  belief  is  in  the  Huldra.  She  looks 
like  a  beautiful  woman,  but  has,  concealed,  a  cow's  udder 
and  tail.  Sometimes  when  she  appears  among  the  dancers 
at  a  peasant's  wedding,  this  tail  betrays  her,  and  if  it  be 
noticed,  she  is  terribly  offended.  She  is  pictured  as  a  sad 
being,  though  wonderfully  lovely,  and  her  song  has  a  melan 
choly  tone  when  heard  among  the  hills.  This  belief  is 


SUPERSTITIONS.  167 

very  ancient,  and  has  a  deep  moral  meaning.  The  insep 
arable  union  of  the  animal  nature  with  the  higher,  being 
viewed  as  the  fitting  punishment  for  sin. 

THE   WILD   RIDERS. 

One  of  the  most  fearful  phantoms  to  the  peasant,  is 
the  Aasgaardsrda — "  the  Wild  Hunt."  These  are  the 
spirits  of  drunkards,  and  ale-house  fighters  and  perjurers, 
who  have  not  been  condemned  to  hell.  They  are  com 
pelled  to  ride  over  the  world  till  doomsday.  They  are 
mounted  on  coal-black  steeds,  with  eyes  of  fire,  and  gov 
erned  with  red  hot  iron  bridles  and  bits  ;  and  their  clank 
ing  and  rush  as  they  sweep  over  mountain  and  lake  are 
heard  for  miles. 

They  ride  most  at  Christmas  time,  and  especially  love 
the  place  of  drunken  fightings  and  carousals,  or  where 
murder  is  breeding.  Where  they  drop  a  saddle  on  the  roof, 
there  will  be  death.  Whoever  meets  them,  should  throw 
himself  flat  on  his  face,  till  the  clanking,  cursing  crew  have 
passed. 

This  is  probably  one  of  the  oldest  beliefs  in  Norway — 
dating  before  Christianity. 

One  hears  frequently  in  Norway  of  the  "  Gertrud's  Bird." 
The  story  as  the  peasants  believe  it,  is  thus  told  by  Thorpe 

GERTRUD'S  BIRD. 

"  In  Norway,  the  red-crested,  black  woodpecker  is  known  under 
the  name  of  Gertrud's  Bird.  Its  origin  is  as  follows :  "  When  our 
Lord,  accompanied  by  St.  Peter,  was  wandering  on  earth,  they  came 


168  THE 


to  a  woman  who  was  occupied  in  baking  ;  her  name  was  Gertrud, 
and  on  her  head  she  wore  a  red  hood.  Weary  and  hungry  from 
their  long  journeying,  our  Lord  begged  for  a  cake.  She  took  a 
little  dough  and  set  it  on  to  bake,  and  it  grew  so  large  that  it  filled 
the  whole  pan.  Thinking  it  too  much  for  alms,  she  took  a  smaller 
quantity  of  dough,  and  again  began  to  bake,  but  this  cake  also 
swelled  up  to  the  same  size  as  the  first  ;  she  then  took  still  less 
dough,  and  when  the  cake  had  become  as  large  as  the  preceding 
ones,  Gertrud  said  :  '  You  must  go  without  alms,  for  all  my  bakings 
are  too  large  for  you!'  Then  was  our  Lord  wroth,  and  said:  'Be 
cause  thou  gavest  me  nothing,  thou  shalt  for  punishment  become 
a  little  bird,  shalt  seek  thy  dry  food  between  the  wood  and  the 
bark,  and  drink  only  when  it  rains.'  Hardly  were  these  words 
spoken  when  the  woman  was  transformed  to  the  Gertrud  bird, 
and  flew  away  through  the  kitchen  chimney  ;  and  at  this  day  she 
is  seen  with  a  red  hood  and  black  body,  because  she  was  blackened 
by  the  soot  of  the  chimney.  She  constantly  pecks  the  bark  of  trees 
for  sustenance,  and  whistles  against  rain  ;  for  she  always  thirsts  and 
hopes  to  drink." 

Throughout  my  journey,  I  have  been  surprised  at  the 
extent  of  these  superstitions  among  the  peasantry.  If  a 
child  is  sick,  two  eggs  must  be  deposited  in  an  ant-hill  ; 
if  an  older  person,  the  witch-doctors  will  advise  the  peasant 
to  seek  for  the  "fat  of  a  white  worm,  found  at  the  meeting 
of  two  cross-roads. 

Decoctions  are  still  made  with  magical  formula  in  the 
lonely  cabins.  For  rheumatism,  I  heard  in  one  place  of 
binding  the  limbs  with  nine  withes  of  the  branches  of  cer 
tain  trees.  When  the  cattle  are  diseased,  a  snake  will  be 
buried  near  the  threshold.  One  gentleman  told  me  that 
he  saw  a  soldier  shoot  with  a  silver  bullet  over  a  paralytic 


ELFIN    SPIRITS.  169 

woman  to  cure  her.  Steel  is  a  great  remedy,  and  a  con 
stant  amulet  against  the  evil  spirits — a  key  put  in  the 
cradle  will  keep  off  the  black  dwarfs  from  the  infant. 

The  workman  will  frequently,  while  at  his  labor,  hear 
the  derisive  laugh  of  the  little  elves  behind,  and  sometimes 
he  is  called  up  in  the  night  to  find  a  whole  stable  disturbed 
by  the  invisible  intruders.  The  peasant  is  so  far  influenced 
by  modern  habits  of  thought,  that  he  is  ashamed  to  confess 
these  superstitious,  except  to  those  whom  he  knows  well, 
but  if  lie  is  watched,  he  will  be  seen  frequently  to  raise 
his  hat  or  bow  his  head,  where  these  spirits  and  elves  are 
supposed  most  often  to  be  present. 

After  a  long  agreeable  talk  at  the  pastor's,  we  rode  away, 
very  much  pleased  with  the  conversation,  and  the  simple, 
hearty  people. 

Our  ride  was  at  first  through  very  grand  and  impressive 
scenery  ;  in  some  places,  the  road  winding  just  on  the  edge 
of  frightful  precipices,  so  that  our  postman  insisted  on  our 
walking.  As  we  drew  on  into  the  valley  of  the  Little  Mjoseu 
Lake,  it  became  a  most  sweet,  pastoral  country,  with  rich 
farms,  orchards,  luxuriant  grain-fields  and  gently  rounded 
hills.  There  had  been  a  rain,  and  everything  was  fresh  and 
sparkling  under  the  sun  of  a  spring-like  afternoon.  It  was  a 
delicious  drive.  We  noticed  that  every  farm-house  had  its 
own  little  grist-mill,  turned  by  a  running  stream.  The  num 
ber  of  streams  and  water-falls  is  one  characteristic  of  this 
country.  I  do  not  believe  I  spent  two  nights  in  Norway  (out 
of  the  cities),  where  I  was  not  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  murmur 
of  water-falls. 

8 


170  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

We  stopped  for  a  day  in  this  valley  at  an  excellent  inn. 
Our  two  large  rooms  looked  out  over  a  wide  reach  of  vale 
and  wood,  far  away  to  snowy  mountains.  The  landlady 
was  very  neat  in  her  housekeeping  and  obliging,  and  we  had 
acquaintances  in  the  neighborhood,  so  that  the  rest  and  in 
tercourse  were  very  pleasant.  One  gentleman,  to  whom  we 
had  letters,  was  a  wealthy  pastor,  living  in  a  large  hand 
some  house  of  two  stories.  His  family  seemed  educated  and 
refined  persons — not  peculiarly  different  from  people  of  this 
class  in  every  country.  The  father,  I  think,  besides  being  a 
clergyman,  is  also  a  member  of  Parliament. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

A      COUNTRY      PASTOR. 

AMONG  the  others  in  this  neighborhood  to  whom  I  had 
letters,  was  a  clergyman,  living  at  a  little  distance  off  the 
main  routes.  I  started  to  visit  him.  The  road  to  his  house 
lay  right  over  the  mountain  on  one  side  of  the  valley  of  the 
Little,  Mjosen.  It  was  a  tremendously  steep  ascent,  sometimes 
a  grass-track  through  stones  and  rocks,  and  finally  descend 
ing  into  a  beautiful  retired  valley  on  the  other  side.  Nothing 
but  a  sure-footed  Norwegian  horse,  with  a  carriole,  is  fitted 
for  the  road.  The  little  animal  walked  rapidly  up,  and  then 
plunged  down  the  mountain,  without  a  check  or  hold  from 
the  driver — never  making  a  false  step  or  a  stumble — doing 
the  six  miles,  up  mountain  and  down,  within  the  hour.  The 
parsonage  was  a  neat,  cream-colored,  wood  house,  long,  with 
French  casements  and  of  two  stories,  looking  like  the  houses 
in  a  small  German  or  French  town. 

As  is  usual,  there  was  no  village,  but  little  groups  of 
brown  log-houses  (gaarde  or  farms),  were  scattered  about  on 
the  hill-sides.  A  pleasant  green  bank,  with  roses,  was  in 
front  of  the  house,  and  the  foreground  was  made  by  a  quiet 
lake,  which  stretched  away  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
among  the  mountains.  A  most  sweet,  peaceful  scene. 

171 


172  THE    NOES  E -FOLK. 

I  was  shown  into  a  moderately  large  room,  without  car 
pets,  but  with  pretty  furniture,  mostly  of  birch-wood,  and 
the  unfailing  ornament  of  Norwegian  houses  of  all  classes — 
flowers.  There  were  also  some  good  paintings  and  sketches 
of  Norwegian  scenery  on  the  walls. 

The  pastor  was  not  at  home,  but  the  lady  soon  came  in — 
speaking  German  or  French  as  I  preferred,  and  a  little 
English.  She  said  they  had  a  very  quiet  life  there — seldom 
seeing  an  educated  person,  and  they  welcomed  a  stranger 
gladly.  I  was  equally  glad  to  meet  intelligent  people,  who 
understood  the  country — so  we  were  soon  in  conversation. 

I  asked  about  her  husband's  duties.  She  said  they  were 
lighter  than  is  usual  ;  the  parish  was  small,  only  having 
2,000  souls,  with  three  churches.  He  preached  in  one  every 
Sunday,  once  a  day,  going  some  three  or  four  miles  ;  he 
sometimes  wrote  his  sermons,  but  often  spoke  merely  from 
an  abstract. 

Did  he  also  have  charge  of  the  schools  ?  I  asked.  "  Yes," 
she  answered  ;  "he  catechises  all  the  children,  and  at  the 
end  of  a  term  examines  them  in  their  other  lessons.  There 
are  five  '  circulating  schools '  and  one  established  school  in 
the  parish.  Mr.  Z.  has  always  taken  a  great  interest  in 
educational  matters,  and  he  is  trying  now  to  do  away  with 
the  *  circulating  schools ' — those  you  know  which  go  from 
house  to  house — and  have  them  all  '  established.'  He  is 
obliged  beside  to  make  a  return  of  the  attendance,  and  the 
character  of  the  scholars." 

I  said  that  the  country  clergymen  in  Norway  seemed  the 
general  fathers  and  directors  of  the  peasants. 


MORALS   OF  PEASANTS.  173 

Yes,  she  said,  it  was  so.  They  came  to  Mr.  Z.  for  all 
possible  aid  and  advice — and  as  the  only  magistrate  or  law 
yer  was  fourteen  miles  off,  he  had  often  to  settle  their  legal 
squabbles.  Besides,  the  government  made  him  take  the 
census  of  the  parish — and  he  must  return  the  number  of 
cows,  the  produce,  the  population,  and  all  that.  Still,  she 
said,  the  labor  was  not  burdensome,  if  one  could  only  see 
more  of  the  moral  fruits  sometimes. 

I  inquired  as  to  the  general  morality  of  the  bonders 
of  the  province.  She  thought  that  there  had  been  a  great 
improvement.  Intoxication  was  certainly  very  much  dimi 
nished.  When  they  first  came  to  the  parish,  seven  years 
ago,  every  bonder  brought  his  brandy-bottle  and  knife  with 
him  to  the  church,  and  perhaps  to  the  communion  altar ; 
then,  after  service,  they  would  take  their  meals  on  the  grass 
by  the  church,  drink,  quarrel,  and  sometimes  have  very  dis 
agreeable  scenes.  Mr.  Z.  had  finally  put  a  stop  to  that, 
and  government  had  made  it  so  difficult  to  get  brandy,  that, 
altogether,  there  was  a  great  progress.  In  respect  to 
licentiousness,  though  there  was  much  improvement,  there 
were  still  considerable  numbers  of  illegitimate  children  every 
year  in  the  parish.  Marriages  were  scarcely  ever  known  to 
be  broken.  She  could  only  think  of  one,  even  disagreement, 
for  many  years,  between  married  couples — but  this  evil  pre 
vailed  everywhere  in  Norway.  She  thought  the  great  cause 
was  an  old  custom,  which  is  still  followed  throughout  the 
country — of  lovers  being  allowed  to  visit  the  servant  maids 
or  peasant  girls  Saturday  night. 

It  is  a  strange  thing  to  an  American  car — but  every- 


174  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

where  in  Norway  this  crime  is  attributed  to  this  old  custom, 
which  began  innocently,  and  is  still,  in  some  districts,  inno 
cently  observed,  but  which  is  now  mostly  clear  licentious 
ness.  The  estimate  of  those  who  have  investigated,  is,  that 
every  tenth  child  in  Norway  is  illegitimate.* 

In  this  lady's  judgment — and  she  had  a  clear,  sharp 
sense — a  great  deal  of  the  religion  of  the  farmers  and  pea 
sants  was  merely  religiosity — a  strong  feeling  of  reverence, 
and  a  susceptibility  to  ceremonials.  It  seemed  to  her  that 
their  consciences  had  something  of  the  toughness  and  hard 
ness  of  their  bodies.  They  were  able  to  endure  anything 
physically,  and  sufferings  or  trials  or  thoughts  of  death,  did 
riot  affect  them  as  they  do  others.  They  came  in  crowds  to 
church  and  communion,  but  she  could  not  say  that  religion, 
in  her  observation,  had  a  strong  hold  over  their  practical 
life — still  there  were  exceptions,  very  beautiful  ones,  and 
the  evil  might  be  no  greater  there  than  it  is  everywhere. 

We  spoke  next  of  some  of  the  Lutheran  doctrines,  and  I 
asked  for  the  passage  in  the  Lutheran  service,  where  the 
clergyman  says,  "  I  forgive,  you  your  sins,  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost."  After  some  little 
search,  the  church-book  was  found  in  which  the  service  was 
contained  (a  book  used  only  by  the  clergymen),  and  the 
context  was  even  stronger  than  I  suspected.  It  read  "  by 
authority  of  God  and  my  office " — and  as  Christ  has  given 
us  full  power  to  remit  sins,  etc.,  "  I  forgive,"  etc. 

She  admitted  it  was  hard  to  defend,  and  said  that  many 
objections  were  now  raised  against  it,  and  that  Pastor  Lom- 

*  See  Appendix. 


STATE    CHURCH.  175 

mers  had  taken  the  position  that  there  could  be  no  Absolu 
tion  without  full  Confession. 

While  we  were  talking,  the  pastor  came  in — a  thoughtful, 
earnest-looking  man.  His  views  of  the  low  state  of  moral 
ity  and  religion  among  the  farmers  were  stronger  even  than 
his  wife's.  They  were  still  suffering,  he  said,  from  the  long 
period  under  the  Danish  rule,  when  everything  had  been  put 
under  the  will  of  absolute  power.  "  There  was  one  king, 
sir,  who  considered  himself  to  own  all  our  churches,  and 
who  sold  a  large  number  to  obtain  money  !  The  farmers 
have  never  recovered  from  the  evil  effects  of  that  time." 

He  agreed  to  my  explanation  that  the  Reformation  had 
not  taken  so  deep  a  hold  of  the  Norwegian  and  Swedish 
peoples  as  of  other  nations  ;  and  had  been  more  forced  by 
the  rulers  on  the  people  for  pecuniary  objects.  "  The  worst 
is,"  said  he,  "the  State-Church  !  We  can  do  nothing — we 
are  fettered." 

His  wife  suggested  that  the  government  was  very  liberal. 
"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  but  in  a  Lutheran  direction.  The  moment 
we  leave  that,  we  are  exposed  to  censure.  There  is  no  gen 
uine  liberty  in  our  arrangements.  I  believe  in  liberty  as  the 
best  atmosphere  for  a  church.  Here,  now,  in  our  parish,  the 
people  have  not  the  least  share  in  calling  the  pastor,  or  in 
managing  the  church.  I  have  studied  your  American  system 
— especially  among  the  Independents — and  1  much  prefer  it." 
Like  most  thoughtful  persons,  he  is  expecting,  before  a 
long  time,  a  disturbance  in  the  church  of  Norway.  "Ideas," 
he  says,  "  work  slowly  among  his  countrymen,  but  with  great 
power." 


176  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

He  ini\/i'.ii.',  me  that  Pastor  Lommers  has  entirely  seceded 
from  the  State-Church,  but  that  the  government  has  acted 
with  very  good  sense,  and  offers  to  pay  him  a  pension,  so 
that  there  may  be  no  disturbance.  So  far  as  I  can  under 
stand,  the  position  of  Lommers  is  rather  technical  than 
founded  on  any  deep  principle.  He  objects  to  Absolution, 
for  instance,  not  because  no  man  has  the  right  to  forgive 
sin,  but  from  some  quibble  that  forgiveness  cannot  be 
declared  without  statement  of  the  particular  guilt. 

The  Ilougianer,  a  kind  of  Methodist  sect,  still  exist, 
though  Houge,  their  founder,  died  in  1824.  Pastor  Z. 
says  that  their  views  do  not  materially  differ  from  those  we 
meet  with  at  the  North — being  founded  especially  on  a 
belief  in  the  inner  inspiration  of  each  man,  and  in  the  doc 
trine  of  regeneration  alone  by  grace. 

"We  have  not  yet  had  the  dissent,  Herr  B.,"  said  the 
Pastor,  "  which  has  shown  itself  in  other  lands,  but  it  must 
come." 

"  We  have  spoken  hardly  of  our  people,"  said  the  lady, 
"but  you  must  remember  these  are  the  Valders-people — the 
Jews  of  Norway  !  Have  you  not  experienced  how  very 
avaricious  they  are  in  their  charges  ?" 

I  replied  that  I  had  not :  on  the  contrary,  I  had  found 
them  very  honest,  and  I  related  an  instance  which  had  just 
occurred  in  our  inn.  My  wife  had  left  a  valuable  ring  in 
her  valise,  and  in  drying  this  in  the  kitchen,  it  had  rolled 
out,  and  was  found  by  a  servant,  and  returned,  as  a  matter 
of  course. 

"  Good  !  that  is  not  common,"  she  said  ;  "  the  fact  is,  the 


CONVERSION  OF   HEATHEN.  177 

mode  in  which  they  were  converted  to  Christianity  seems  to 
have  affected  them  always.  You  have  surely  read  it  in 
Snorro  Sturleson's  Sagas  ?"* 

*  We  subjoin  the  account  in  Laing's  translation:  "The  King 
proceeded  to  Valders,  where  the  people  were  still  heathen.  He 
hastened  up  to  the  lake  in  Valders,  came  unexpectedly  on  the 
Bonders,  seized* their  vessels,  and  went  on  board  of  them  with  all 
his  men.  He  sent  out  message-tokens,  and  appointed  a  Thing  so 
near  the  lake,  that  he  could  use  the  vessels  if  he  found  he  required 
them.  The  Bonders  resorted  to  the  Thing  in  a  great  and  well-armed 
host ;  and  when  he  commanded  them  to  accept  Christianity,  the  Bon 
ders  shouted  against  him ;  told  him  to  be  silent,  and  made  a  great 
uproar  and  clashing  of  weapons.  But  when  the  king  saw  that  they 
would  not  listen  to  what  he  would  teach  them,  and  also,  that  they  had 
too  great  a  force  to  contend  with,  he  turned  his  discourse,  and  asked 
if  there  were  people  at  the  Thing  who  had  disputes  with  each  other, 
that  they  wished  him  to  settle.  It  was  soon  found  by  the  conversa 
tion  of  the  Bonders  that  they  had  many  quarrels  among  themselves, 
although  they  had  all  joined  in  speaking  against  Christianity.  When 
the  Bonders  began  to  set  forth  their  own  cases,  each  endeavored  to 
get  some  upon  his  side  to  support  him ;  and  this  lasted  the  whole  day 
long  until  evening,  when  the  Thing  was  concluded.  When  the 
Bonders  had  heard  that  the  king  had  travelled  to  Yalders,  and  was 
come  into  their  neighborhood,  they  had  sent  out  message-tokens 
summoning  the  free  and  the  unfree  to  meet  in  arms,  and  with  this 
force  they  advanced  against  the  king,  so  that  the  neighborhood  all 
around  was  left  without  people.  When  the  Thing  was  concluded  the 
Bonders  still  remained  assembled  ;  and  when  the  king  observed  this 
he  went  on  board  his  ships,  rowed  in  the  night  right  acros|  the  water, 
landed  in  the  country  there,  and  began  to  plunder  and  burn.  The 
day  after  the  king's  men  rowed  from  one  point  of  land  to  another, 
and  over  all  the  king  ordered  the  habitations  to  be  set  on  fire. 


178  THE    NORSE    FOLK. 

A  very  social  meal  was  now  enjoyed,  well-served,  and 
after  coffee,  the  lady  played  and  sang  for  us  some  national 
music  on  the  piano.  This  music  is  not,  in  my  judgment, 
equal  to  the  Scotch  or  Hungarian  national  music,  but  it 
contains  some  very  pleasing  airs,  both  lively  and  plaintive — 
some  named  from,  and  perhaps  springing  from  the  popular 
superstitions,  and  others  associated  with  the*  peculiar  pea 
sant  life. 

After  this  pleasant  amusement,  the  pastor  produced  some 
cigars,  and  we  went  out  for  a  walk.  Beside  other  places, 
he  took  me  to  a  Bonder's  farm,  near  by.  I  found  here  the 
usual  division  of  houses  for  each  separate  department — one 
for  a  carpenter's  shop,  one  for  a  grist-mill,  store-house, 
machine-house,  smithery,  etc.,  etc. — every  trade  being  car 
ried  on  upon  the  farm.  They  were  building  one  new  house, 
and  on  inquiring,  I  learned  that  it  was  for  the  father.  He 
was  about,  as  is  customary,  to  give  up  the  farm  to  his  son,  and 

"Now  when  the  Bonders,  who  were  assembled,  saw  what  the  king 
was  doing,  namely,  plundering  and  burning,  and  saw  the  smoke  and 
flame  of  their  houses,  they  dispersed,  and  each  hastened  to  his  own 
home  to  see  if  he  could  find  those  he  had  left.  As  soon  as  there 
came  a  dispersion  among  the  crowd,  the  one  slipped  away  from  the 
other,  until  the  whole  multitude  was  dissolved.  Then  the  king  rowed 
across  the  lake  again,  burning  also  on  that  side  of  the  country.  Now 
came  the  Bonders  to  him  begging  for  mercy,  and  offering  to  submit 
to  him.  He  gave  every  man  who  came  to  him  peace  if  he  desired  it, 
and  restored  to  him  his  goods ;  and  nobody  refused  to  adopt  Chris 
tianity.  The  king  then  had  the  people  christened,  and  took  hostages 
from  the  Bonders.  He  ordered  Churches  to  be  built  and  consecrated, 
and  placed  teachers  in  them." 


A   FARMER.  179 

be  supported  henceforth  by  him,  though  still  himself  in  full 
strength.  I  talked  with  the  old  man  about  his  farm.  He 
said  they  would  be  very  glad  of  some  of  the  new  American 
machines  :  he  had  heard  of  the  horse-rake.  The  reaper 
would  not  do  well  here,  owing  to  their  hilly  and  stony 
ground.  He  had  one  machine,  which  he  had  invented  him 
self  for  sifting,  which  he  showed  me.  They  had  the  usual 
thresh-machine,  turned  by  cattle  or  horses. 

He  said  that  they  had  sent  twenty-five  men  from  his  gaard 
alone,  to  America,  who  were  doing  well. 

"  Would  you  go  ?"  said  my  friend. 

"  Not  to  be  king,"  said  he,  "  if  they  had  one." 

We  went  into  his  house,  a  log-cabin  of  two  stories.  It  was 
kept  with  perfect  neatness.  There  were  no  carpets,  but 
bare  boards  throughout,  yet  it  had  some  articles  of  furni 
ture  quite  rich  and  handsome.  The  sprinkling  of  the  juni 
per-twigs  on  the  floor  instead  of  sand,  struck  me  at  once.  It 
is  an  old  Norse  custom,  appearing  in  the  earliest  sagas. 
The  peasant  woman  showed  us  the  bed-rooms,  and  her  own 
bridal  gifts  of  dresses,  with  much  pride.  In  one  room  was  a 
complete  fit-out  for  a  soldier.  This  gaard  is  obliged  to  send 
at  least  one  soldier  to  the  National  forces.  The  gun,  I  ob 
served,  was  a  species  of  Minie-rifle,  loading  at  the  breech. 

The  manner  of  the  peasant  through  our  visit  was  ex 
tremely  dignified  and  self-possessed.  The  only  contrast  to 
American  habits  was  in  his  bearing  towards  the  clergyman, 
and  the  clergyman's  to  him,  indicating  a  much  greater  differ 
ence  or  separation  of  classes,  than  we  know  in  similar  cir 
cumstances.  I  inquired  about  wages.  They  are  much 


180  THENORSE-FOLK. 

higher  than  they  were  formerly  ;  at  present  16  cents  a  day 
usually,  except  in  harvesting,  when  they  might  be  63  cents. 
A  servant  maid  had  $16  a  year,  double  the  wages  of  a  few 
years  ago. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

RETURN   JOURNEY   TO    CHRISTIANIA. 

THE  scenery  through  our  whole  route,  till  we  approached 
the  Mjbsen  Lake  again,  was  very  interesting  ;  in  some  places 
bold  and  mountainous,  but  generally  more  peaceful  and  lux 
uriant  than  we  had  previously  seen. 

In  the  village  of  M ,  we  stopped  to  visit  the  Soren- 

skriver,  or  Justice  of  the  Peace.  A  family  of  intelligent 
ladies  were  in  the  house,  who  made  us  welcome,  and 
though  we  had  only  an  hour  or  two  to  spend,  it  was  a  very 
agreeable  visit.  Delicious  mountain  strawberries,  with  the 
national  dish  of  solidified  sour-cream  were  brought  in,  and 
afterwards  excellent  coffee.  The  ladies  plucked  some  beau 
tiful  flowers  for  my  wife.  They  had  a  tutor  in  the  house, 
and  all  spoke  English  or  German. 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  I  asked  the  Judge  about 
the  effect  on  the  peasants  of  this  system  of  posting — whether 
it  did  not  tend  to  make  them  idle,  and  to  injure  their  regu 
lar  business  ? 

He  said  it  did  not :  that  it  was  certainly  hard  now  and 
then,  to  take  a  peasant's  horses  just  in  the  midst  of  harvest 
ing,  but  the  wages  paid  were  so  high,  that  generally  they 
liked  the  duty,  and  made  money  by  it. 


182  THE 

We  spoke  of  this  class  of  Fante  or  gipsies.  "  An  abom 
inable  set,"  said  he,  "  we  can't  get  rid  of  them.  We  are 
losing  all  sorts  of  good  capable  Bonders,  who  are  emigrating 
to  your  country  ;  but  these  never,  go  1  We  shut  them  up, 
and  it  does  no  good  I" 

I  asked  about  his  duties  and  appointment. 

He  is  placed,  it  appears  by  government,  and  cannot  be 
removed,  except  by  impeachment,  and  is  required  to  have 
taken  a  degree  in  law  in  the  University.  He  has  a  court  in 
every  parish  under  his  control,  and  holds  a  session  there  at 
least  once  in  the  three  months. 

His  duties  seem  to  correspond  to  those  of  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace  with  us,  except  that  property  is  registered  in  his 
court,  and  all  cases  affecting  titles  are  brought  before  him. 
The  peculiar  Norwegian  characteristic  of  this  officer  is,  that 
in  company  with  the  Sheriff  and  the  Governor  (amtmand), 
he  must  appoint  a  standing  jury  of  eight  tax-payers,  to  act 
with  him  for  the  year.  He  judges  alone,  in  trifling  cases, 
but  in  all  important  cases,  the  Justice  and  the  jury  make  one 
body,  each  person  with  only  one  voice,  and  frequently  thus 
the  jurymen  outvote  the  Judge,  and  decide  against  him. 
There  is  an  appeal  from  his  Court  to  the  Provincial  Court, 
and  all  his  decisions  are  to  be  revised  there,  and  if  on  cri 
minal  causes,  they  cannot  be  executed,  till  there  sanc 
tioned. 

There  are  sixty-four  of  these  courts  in  Norway.  As  of 
all  the  officials  in  Norway,  my  impression  of  this  Justice 
was  most  favorable.  In  some  way,  the  Norwegians  have 
hit  much  better  than  either  we  or  the  English  on  the 


COURTS.  183 

essential  requisite  of  "government — putting  the  right  man 
in  the  right  place. 

The  fact  that  the  great  mass  of  the  people  are  property- 
holders,  with  a  permanent  interest  in  the  country,  and 
without  the  great  wealth  which  would  lead  to  indifference 
of  public  affairs,  is  probably  the  explanation  of  this  intelli 
gent,  and  practical  administration  in  this  country. 

COMPROMISE    COURTS. 

One  of  the  most  characteristic  institutions  of  Norway,  is 
the  Court  of  Compromise.  It  is  of  Danish  origin. 

The  arbiter  or  judge,  who  may  be  of  any  profession 
but  the  law,  is  elected  in.  every  pa*rish  by  the  resident  pro 
perty-owners,  once  in  three  years.  In  the  larger  parishes, 
he  is  allowed  assistants.  He  serves  for  a  merely  nominal 
salary.  Every  case  whatsoever  must  be  brought  before 
him,  but  always  by  the  parties  personally.  No  lawyer's 
aid  is  allowed.  The  statement  of  each  of  the  litigants  is 
entered  on  the  minutes  of  the  Court,  and  the  arbiter  de 
cides  between  them.  If  they  accept  his  opinion  as  final, 
it  is  brought  to  the  Justice's  Court,  and,  if  approved, 
entered,  and  becomes  a  legal  decision.  If  one  or  the  other 
objects  to  his  arbitration,  the  party  objecting  appeals  to 
the  Justice  Court,  but  he  will  be  obliged  to  pay  the  whole 
expenses  of  both  litigants,  if  the  proposal  of  arbitration 
is  found  just  and  reasonable.  In  this  Court,  and  henceforth 
in  all  the  courts  to  which  the  case  may  go,  the  parties 
can  employ  counsel,  but  through  them  all,  the  only  evidence 


184:  THE    JSToESE-FoLK. 

or  statement  of  facts  received  are  tlie  minutes  of  the  first 
Compromise  Court. 

In  another  point  of  legal  institution,  Norway  stands 
almost  alone — in  the  Responsibility  of  Judges.  I  quote  from 
Christian  V.'s  code,  as  given  by  Laing : 

"  Should  any  judge  deliver  a  wrong  decision,  and  that  happen  either 
because  he  has  not  rightly  instructed  himself  in  the  case,  or  that  the 
case  has  been  wrongly  represented  to  him,  or  that  he  has  done  it 
from  want  of  judgment,  he  shall  make  good  to  the  party  whom  he 
has  wronged  by  such  decision,  his  proven  loss,  expense,  and  damage 
sustained ;  and  can  it  be  proved  that  the  judge  has  been  influenced 
by  favor,  friendship,  or  gifts,  or  if  the  case  be  so  clear,  that  it  canuot 
be  imputed  to  want  of  judgment,  or  to  wrong  instruction  upon  it, 
then  he  shall  be  displaced,  and  declared  incapable  of  ever  sitting 
as  a  judge  again,  and  shall  forfeit  to  the  injured  party  what  he  has 
suffered,  should  it  be  to  the  extent  of  fortune,  life,  or  honor." 

It  is  also  provided,  says  Laing,  that  if  a  judge  die  during 
the  course  of  an  appeal  from  his  decision,  his  heirs  are 
responsible  for  the  damages.  The  inferior  justices,  where 
there  are  no  damages  to  pay,  are  fined  for  wrong  decisions  ; 
and  if  these  are  reversed  three  times,  they  are  displaced. 
The  law  provides,  too,  against  long  delay  on  the  part  of 
the  judges,  before  giving  their  decisions. 

There  is  much  difference  of  opinion  on  both  these  pecu 
liarities  of  Norwegian  law — the  establishment  of  the  Com 
promise  Courts,  and  the  rendering  the  Judges  responsible. 
The  Norwegian  lawyers  do  not  seem  to  hold  them  in  high 
estimation,  though  travellers  and  foreigners  have  generally 


PARSONAGE.  185 

found  them  worthy  of 'much  commendation.  To  me,  they 
both  seem  reasonable,  calculated  to  lessen  litigation,  and 
further  the  ends  of  justice. 

R.  L d. — We  stopped  here  at  a  large  parsonage. 

The  yard  was  tilled  with  children,  who  were  present  for 
instruction,  previous  to  Confirmation.  This  teaching  is  not 
only  in  religious  matters,  but  in  all  common-school  branches, 
and  must  be  a  very  heavy  burden  to  the  clergymen.  The 
ladies  within  were  sitting  in  different  parts  of  the  large 
saloon,  sewing  and  embroidering,  and  the  pastor,  with  pipe 
and  sinoking-cap,  had  been  studying.  He  informed  me  that 
his  parish  contained  10,000  people,  with  five  churches  and 
two  pastors  ;  there  were  in  it  11  circulating  schools,  and 
one  established  school,  with  14  teachers  in  all,  and  about 
1,200  scholars. 

With  respect  to  the  moral  habits  of  the  peasantry,  he 
gives  for  his  parish  the  usual  average  of  illegitimacy — one 
in  eleven. 

S . — An  excellent  hotel,  with  large,  neat  rooms,  and 

modern  conveniences.  The  charge  for  service,  beds,  and 
breakfasts,  was  thirty  cents  for  both  ! 

We  turned  off  from  the  main  road,  in  order  to  catch  the 
steamboat  on  the  Mjosen  Lake  at  Hun.  The  last  station  is 
at  Mustaed,  where  I  had  a  letter  to  the  nu-keeper,  who  is 
one  of  the  best  farmers  on  the  Mjb'sen.  He  took  us  all 
over  his  farm.  There  was  nothing  in  it  materially  different 
from  what  I  had  already  seen,  except  that  everything 
seemed  under  very  careful  management.  His  stables  were 
on  the  best  modern  principles  for  drainage  and  light ;  the 


186  THE    1ST  ORSE- FOLK  . 

granaries  were  very  large  and  neat ;  we  saw  in  one  part 
great  piles  of  the  fladbrod — dried  pea-cakes,  a  foot  and  a 
half  in  diameter — kept  for  the  winter's  food.  He  had  the 
usual  clumsy  thrashing-machine,  but  ploughs  of  modern  con 
struction — I  think  American.  Most  of  the  products  seemed 
to  be  consumed  on  the  farm. 

The  most  interesting  thing  about  this  estate  is  its  history. 
The  landlord  showed  me  a  new  barn,  built  where,  a  few 
years  before,  was  one  of  the  most  interesting  relics  in  Nor 
way,  visited,  he  said,  by  people  from  every  country.  This 
is  the  story,  well  authenticated,  though  I  did  not  get  the 
dates  accurately. 

Some  hundred  years  ago,  a  hunter  was  following  his  game 
through  the  woods  near  Lake  Mjosen.  Suddenly,  in  the 
midst  of  a  dense  thicket,  he  came  upon  some  walls  over 
grown  with  weeds  and  bushes  ;  surprised  at  this,  he  worked 
his  way  among  them,  and,  at  length,  found  himself  at  a 
moss-covered  door  of  an  ancient  house.  From  its  firmly 
supported  roof,  a  young  grove  had  sprung  up,  with  all  the 
flowers  and  rank  weeds  of  the  wilderness.  Everything  out 
side  was  dank  and  gloomy  ;  the  casements  had  fallen  in,  and 
glossy  vines  had  crept  out  from  within.  He  touched  the 
door,  and  the  worm-eaten  wood  fell  away  from  the  hinges  ; 
he  entered,  awe-struck,  the  damp  lonely  rooms,  and  rats  and 
mice  ran  over  the  floors,  and  night-birds  flew  out  of  the 
windows.  The  remains  of  furniture  were  about,  and,  as  his 
eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  gloom,  he  plainly  distin 
guished,  in  one  corner,  on  the  ruins  of  a  bed,  the  bare  skele 
ton  of  a  man.  Shocked,  he  left  the  room  and  entered 


THE   DESERTED  VILLAGE.  187 

another — there  again  was  a  skeleton,  and  another  !  Some 
were  sitting,  others  lying  on  the  floor  ;  there  was  no  noise, 
except  the  rattling  of  the  rats  through  the  empty  rooms. 
The  ghastly  company  lay  scattered  about,  as  if  they  had 
been  stricken  with  fearful  disease,  and  had  died  helpless  and 
deserted.  Overcome  with  the  fearful  sight,  the  hunter 
rushed  from  the  house  of  death,  and  stumbled  among  the 
ruins  of  other  houses,  and  fled  to  the  nearest  village.  He 
told  his  terrible  tale  there,  and  finally  the  oldest  men 
remembered  that  there  were  traditions  that  before  the 
devastation  of  Norway  by  the  "Black  Death,"  there  had 
been  a  settlement  near  the  lake — though  exactly  where  it 
was,  no  one  had  known.  The  ruined  houses  were  now 
investigated,  and  it  was  found  that  this  was  probably  the 
place.  The  dead  were  decently  buried,  and  the  hunter 
took  possession  of  the  property,  calling  the  place  Mustaed. 
The  forest  was  cleared,  new  houses  were  built,  and,  till 
within  a  few  years,  the  old  ruined  house  was  still  to  be 
seen. 

Such  stories  are  not  uncommon  about  different  parts  of 
Norway.  In  Yalders,  where  I  lately  had  so  pleasant  a 
visit,  I  was  told  of  a  church  still  called  the  "  Bear-Church," 
from  the  following  incident  : 

A  hunter  had  wounded  a  bear,  and  it  took  refuge  in  the 
midst  of  a  dense  thicket.  The  man  forced  his  way  in,  and 
discovered  the  ruins  of  a  church,  inside  of  which  he  at 
length  shot  the  bear. 

The  discovery  was  made  known,  and  people  flocked  to 
see  the  ruin,  and  it  was  at  length  remembered  that  there 


188  THE    JSToKSE-FoLK. 

had  been  a  thriving  Parish  here  before  the  Plague  had 
desolated  it.  The  most  intelligent  persons  in  Norway  be 
lieve  that  this  part  of  the  country  was  once  much  more  thickly 
peopled,  than  it  is  now  ;  and  that  one  of  the  causes  of  the 
diminution  of  the  population  was  this  attack  of  the  Plague.* 

As  we  drove  away  from  Mustaed,  a  man,  who  looked 
like  a  workman,  asked  me  in  very  good  English,  if  he  could 
rids  behind  me.  On  inquiry,  I  found  he  was  a  laboring 
man  who  had  been  in  America,  and  had  returned  to  see 
his  friends  for  a  short  time.  We  drove  on  together  towards 
the  lake,  holding  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  the  compara 
tive  condition  of  a  laborer  in  the  two  countries. 

"I  cannot  bear  it  here,  sir,"  said  he,  "in  no  way.  I 
had  a  kind  o'  expected  to  have  stayed  till  fall — but  it's  too 
lonesome.  There  isn't  nothing  going  on." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  very  well  off  now  in  America  ?" 
said  I. 

"  Oh  yes  ;  I  have  one  of  these  farms  of  mine  own  in 
Wisconsin,  and  I  let  it  out  for  the  summer.  When  I  was 
here,  I  used  to  have  a  terribly  hard  time.  I  tell  you,  sir, 
I've  worked  from  4  o'clock  till  8,  month  in  and  month 
out,  and  only  got  seven  cents  a  day  and  found  !  They  say 
now  it's  about  sixteen  cents." 

I  asked  about  machines. 

"They  don't  know  nothing  about  machine-work.  Look 
at  'em — there  they'd  keep  six  men  for  a  week  to  mow 
twelves  acres,  and  I'd  just  take  one  of  our  mowing-machines 

*  One  of  these  occurred  in  1372,  A.  D. 


WHISKY   DRINKING.  189 

and  dew  it  all  in  one  day.     They  never  seed  a  Reaper — nor 
even  a  horse-rake,  nor  any  of  'em  !" 

I  asked  about  food.  He  replied,  that  they  had  pretty 
good  fare  in  Norway,  though  not  so  much  meat  as  in 
America.  At  four  o'clock,  he  said,  coffee  and  "flat  bread" 
used  to  be  sent  out  ;  then  they  would  rest  at  seven  o'clock 
and  have  breakfast,  consisting  of  bread  and  butter,  cheese, 
smoked  salmon,  and  a  glass  of  whisky.  Then  they  rested 
again  at  half  past  ten,  and  took  a  nap  till  twelve  o'clock, 
when  they  ate  dinner,  usually  of  herrings,  potatoes,  and 
barley-soup.  They  stopped  once  more  at  three,  and  then 
worked  till  eight ;  having  four  meals  in  the  day,  and  resting 
four  and  a  half  hours. 

His  reports  of  the  change  in  drinking-habits  corresponded 
with  all  I  had  heard.  They  used  formerly  to  have  a  little 
still  for  whisky  on  every  gaard — but  now  the  duties  were 
so  heavy  on  distilling,  that  it  was  manufactured  only  in 
a  few  places,  and  was  difficult  to  procure.  Among  the 
farmers,  he  found  coffee  to  be  much  drank  in  place  of 
alcoholic  liquors. 

We  had  a  great  deal  of  this  sort  of  chat,  till  we  reached 
Hun,  with  its  pretty  little  inn. 

I  had  made  a  wrong  calculation,  and  found  myself  just 
out  of  Norwegian  money,  with  nothing  but  some  English 
pound  notes,  which  could  not  be  exchanged,  of  course,  in 
such  a  place. 

I  told  this  man  my  situation,  and  there  was  something 
truly  "Western"  in  the  way  in  which  he  pulled  out  a 
bag  of  specie-dollars,  handing  me  twenty  or  thirty — refusing 


190  THE    NOBSE-FOLK. 

to  take  any  receipt  or  note,  and  telling  me  I  could  pay 
it  back  in  Christiania,  or  New  York,  as  I  chose. 

The  next  morning,  we  were  moving  in  a  steamboat  slowly 
down  Lake  Miosen,  and  by  evening  we  were  in  our  old 
rooms  in  the  Hotel  du  Nord,  Christiania,  and  soon  among 
the  cheerful,  social  people  who  make  that  city  so  pleasant  in 
memory. 


Christiania,  July . — A  friend  took  me  to-day  to  see 

the  hall  where  the  Storthing,  or  National  Assembly  is  held. 
It  is  a  simple  room,  with  seats  radiating  from  the  desk  of 
the  presiding  officer,  capable  of  holding  one  hundred  and 
fifty  or  two  hundred  people  comfortably. 

When  we  hear  of  Norway  as  under  a  monarchical  govern 
ment,  we  are  liable  to  form  an  erroneous  idea  of  her  consti 
tution.  The  truth  is,  that  in  all  essential  repects,  she  is  as 
thoroughly  self-governed  as  the  United  States.  Her  Con 
gress,  or  National  Assembly,  is  chosen  through  "  electors" 
by  the  people — the  only  restriction  being  that  every  voter 
must  be  a  land-owner,  paying  taxes,  or  a  citizen  of  a  town, 
or  a  possessor  of  real-estate  in  such  town,  to  the  value  of 
$150.  The  Assembly  has  almost  sole  authority,  and  over 
the  same  class  of  subjects  with  our  Congress.  Even  the 
power  of  veto,  which  rests  with  the  king,  is  null,  if  a  bill 
passes  three  successive  sessions  of  this  body. 

This  was  illustrated  in  the  passage  of  the  act  in  1815, 
which  abolished  hereditary  nobility  in  Norway.  It  passed 
the  house  in  1815,  and  was  vetoed  by  the  king  ;  it  passed 


THE    CONSTITUTION.  191 

again  in  1818,  and  was  again  vetoed  ;  but  in  1821,  though 
the  Court  used  every  means  of  intimidation  and  corruption, 
it  became  a  law.  By  a  wise  provison,  also,  no  change 
affecting  the  constitution  proposed  in  one  session  can  be 
passed  till  another,  three  years  later — thus  preventing  im 
portant  measures,  as  is  so  often  the  case  in  our  Congress, 
being  passed  through  before  the  people  have  understood 
them,  or  before  they  have  elected  representatives  with  refer 
ence  to  them.  The  Assembly  of  Norway  does  not  even 
allow,  as  does  the  English  Parliament,  a  member  of  the  Gov- 
vernment  to  propose  measures  (except  by  writing),  or  to  vote 
on  any  question.  It  receives  the  oaths  of  the  king  on  com 
ing  of  age,  and  in  case  of  the  royal  line  becoming  extinct,  it 
could,  in  conjunction  with  Sweden,  elect  a  new  sovereign.  It 
meets  by  its  own  right  every  three  years,  and  does  not 
require  the  summons  from  the  throne.  In  its  internal  struc 
ture,  it  divides  itself  into  two  houses  ;  the  whole  Assembly 
choosing  one  fourth  of  its  members  to  form  the  Senate,  or 
Lagthing,  which  has  judicial  rights  like  our  Senate.  The 
remainder  form  the  House  of  Representatives,  or  Odels- 


Every  part  of  the  government  administration  comes  under 
the  control  of  this  body,  and  its  authority  in  the  country  is 
quite  as  great  as  that  of  our  Congress.  It  can  impeach  and 
try  before  its  Senate,  even  the  ministers  of  the  crown,  and 
the  supreme  Judges  of  the  country. 

Its  number  of  members  can  not  be  over  one  hundred, 
representing  both  towns  and  country,  in  definite  propor 
tions. 


192  THE'NOKSE-FOLK. 

This  Constitution,  framed  by  Representatives  of  the  people 
in  1814,  has  been  a  wonderful  blessing  to  the  nation,  and 
with  a  free  able  press,  has  made  Norway  one  of  the  most 
free  and  well-governed  countries  in  the  world.  The  people 
hold  to  it  against  the  attacks  of  the  Swedish  government, 
with  a  peculiar  jealousy  ;  and  even  dread  all  improve 
ments  proposed,  for  fear  that  a  change  once  made,  may 
draw  after  changes  more  vital. 


THE    SCHOOLS    OF    NORWAY.* 

Norway,  with  respect  to  education,  labors  exceedingly 
under  the  difficulty  of  a  scattered  population. 

Out  of  her  1,400,000  inhabitants,  only  about  180,000 
dwell  in  towns,  the  remaining  1,220,000  being  sprinkled  here 
and  there  over  an  area  of  5,750  square  miles.  As  a  conse 
quence,  stationary  village-schools  are  hardly  possible  in  any 
great  number.  The  law,  from  which  the  present  school 
system  of  Norway  dates  its  origin,  which  was  passed  in 
1739,  did  not  require,  very  wisely,  an  education  in  any  par 
ticular  place  ;  it  simply  demanded  that  the  parents  or  guar 
dians  should  instruct  every  child,  or  cause  it  to  be  instructed, 
in  the  branches  usually  taught  in  the  district  schools — the 
test  of  such  instruction  being  the  catechetical  examinations 
by  the  clergyman,  and  the  examination,  previous  to  the  con- 

*  The  facts  in  this  article  are  principally  derived  from  the  conver 
sations  and  reports  of  one  of  the  great  leaders  of  educational  im 
provement  in  Norway,  Councillor  Nissou,  of  Christiania. 


SCHOOLS.  193 

firmation,  which  last,  the  American  reader  must  remember, 
is  a  necessary  condition  for  all  civil  rights  in  Norway  and 
Sweden. 

Circulating  Schools. — To  meet  the  difficulty  of  the  separ 
ation  of  the  population,  the  law  also  required  Circulating 
Schools  in  every  parish,  as  well  as  stationary.  The  parish 
is  divided  into  a  certain  number  of  districts,  and  the  teacher 
travels  from  one  district  to  another — the  children  of  each 
forming  for  the  time  his  school.  As  an  average,  the  term 
of  each  school  is  only  eight  weeks  during  the  year.  The 
lessons  are  given  in  the  farm-houses,  in  the  rooms  where  the 
peasants  have  been  sleeping  and  eating — often  uncomfortable 
and  ill-ventilated  apartments.  The  branches  required  to  be 
taught  by  law  are  religion,  reading,  writing,  singing,  and 
arithmetic  ;  in  point  of  fact  they  limit  themselves  to  reading 
and  "religion"  (i.  e.}  very  dry  theology),  with  a  little  of 
writing  and  arithmetic.  The  teacher's  salary  is  from  $12  to 
$40  for  thirty  weeks'  teaching,  with  his  board.  The  whole 
number  of  these  itinerating  teachers  is  about  2,000,  and  of 
the  schools  about  7,000. 

Stationary  Schools. — These  stand  somewhat  higher  than 
the  class  of  schools  first  mentioned  in  the  quality  of  their 
instruction.  The  teachers  also  are  better  paid,  the  salary 
being  about  $90  per  annum,  with  board  and  a  piece  of  land 
for  free  use.  They  number  about  380,  with  24,000  pupils 
in  attendance,  and  their  terms  are  from  16  to  40  weeks  in 
the  year.  The  whole  number  of  children  attending  both  the 
circulating  and  stationary  schools  is  estimated  at  about 
213,000. 

9 


194  THE    NOKSE- FOLK. 

Upper  District  Schools — These  are  a  small  class  of  pay- 
schools,  corresponding  somewhat  to  our  High  Schools  in 
America.  The  branches  taught  are  those  already  mentioned 
as  taught  in  the  other  schools,  together  with  history,  mensu 
ration,  natural  history,  and  a  foreign  language — generally 
English. 

These  schools  require  a  slight  payment  from  the  pupils, 
but  are  supported  by  the  parishes  and  by  occasional  grants 
from  the  Storthing  or  National  Assembly. 

All  the  schools  established  by  law  are  managed  by  the 
Town  or  Parish  Council  and  the  clergyman.  No  tax  can  be 
laid  for  their  support  except  by  a  grant  of  the  council.  The 
head  management  in  each  province  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
High  Sheriff  and  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese,  who  report  again 
to  the  "  Governmental  Department  of  Church  and  Educa 
tion." 

The  total  expenses  of  all  these  Schools  in  the  towns  and 
country,  together  with  that  of  five  Normal  Schools  for 
teachers,  and  including  the  expenses  of  boarding  teachers, 
are  estimated  by  Councillor  Nisson  at  about  $195,000  per 
annum. 

Citizens1  School. — These  are  a  higher  class  of  Schools, 
both  public  and  private,  belonging  to  the  towns.  The  pupils 
are  taught  in  common  branches,  in  drawing,  natural  history, 
and  German,  French  and  English.  The  number  of  these  is 
more  than  twenty  ;  the  pupils  about  3,000  ;  expenses,  about 
$30,000  per  annum. 

A  still  higher  rank  of  these  schools  is  called  Real  Schools. 

These  have  been  established  by  the  Government  in  eleven 


SCHOOLS. 


towns,  and  are  associated  with  the  "  Latin  Schools."  The 
latter  prepare  for  the  University  with  a  five  years'  course  ; 
the  other,  after  their  pupils  are  fourteen  or  fifteen  years 
of  age,  send  them  out  to  practical  life,  or  to  the  technical 
and  military  schools. 

In  the  Latin  Schools,  Greek  and  Hebrew  are  taught  ;  in 
the  Real  Schools,  beside  the  usual  instruction  of  the  best 
schools,  bookkeeping,  commercial  correspondence,  the  pro 
perties  of  goods,  etc.,  are  sometimes  among  the  branches. 

There  are  also  three  Latin  Schools,  not  connected  with 
Real  Schools,  at  Christiania,  Trondhjem  and  Bergen,  where 
the  usual  order  is  reversed,  and  Latin  is  studied  before  any 
foreign  language.  These  three  schools  are  supported  by 
their  own  funds,  dumber  of  pupils  in  the  eleven  united 
schools,  TOO  ;  in  the  three  Latin  schools,  300  ;  total,  1,000. 
Annual  expenses  of  both,  $64,000. 

No  one  can  be  a  rector  in  these  schools  unless  he  has 
passed  two  public  examinations.  The  conditions  for  the  un 
der  teachers  are  equally  strict. 

Beside  these,  there  are  Charity  Schools  in  many  towns  for 
the  children  of  poor  laboring  people,  where  the  children 
remain  the  whole  day,  while  the  parents  are  at  work.  These 
are  supported  by  both  public  and  private  contributions. 
Amount  expended,  about  $6,000. 

There  are  four  asylums  in  Norway  for  the  instruction  of 
the  deaf  and  dumb.  Another  class  of  schools  whose  intro 
duction  would  be  highly  advantageous  to  America,  are  the 
Agricultural  and  Drawing  Schools  for  workingmen  and 
mechanics.  There  are  fourteen  Agricultural  Schools  where 


196  THENORSE-FOLK. 

young  men  from  eighteen  to  twenty  are  taught  thoroughly 
in  practical  and  scientific  farming,  in  the  application  of 
manures,  the  construction  of  fanning  machines,  the  manage 
ment  of  dairies,  and  the  like. 

Throughout  Norway  there  are  eight  Drawing  Schools. 
To  these  of  an  evening  the  mechanics  and  laborers  come 
together  and  receive  instruction  in  modelling,  drawing,  mathe 
matics,  and  natural  philosophy.  By.  the  law,  any  person  who 
would  be  a  tinman,  gun-maker,  copper-worker,  turner, 
brazier,  goldsmith,  wheelwright,  instrument-maker,  jeweller, 
painter,  sadler,  smith,  stone-cutter,  chair-maker  or  clock- 
maker,  must  produce  a  testimonial  from  the  managers  of 
this  school.  The  effect  of  the  instruction  is  found  to  be  ex 
cellent  on  the  taste  of  this  class  in  their  various  trades.  The 
Drawing  School  at  Christiania  is  the  most  distinguished, 
and  costs  nearly  $3,000  per  annum.  The  other  seven  are 
supported  together  at  about  the  same  rate. 

From  what  has  been  said  of  the  condition  of  schools  in 
the  Norwegian  towns,  it  is  apparent  that  education  is  in  a 
favourable  state  of  progress,  even  compared  with  America. 
The  working  classes  have  better  opportunities  than  they  en 
joy  here. 

Of  the  country  schools  one  can  draw  by  no  means  so 
favorable  a  conclusion.  Schools  circulating  from  cabin  to 
cabin,  with  teachers  receiving  $12  per  annum  as  salary,  and 
instructing  each  circle  of  scholars  only  eight  weeks  in  the 
year,  could  not  be  of  much  value  to  the  mental  improvement 
of  the  nation. 

Still  the  country  people  of  this  kingdom  are  by  no  mean 


INTELLIGENCE    OF    PEOPLE.          197 

inferior  in  natural  intelligence  or  in  information.  The  same 
causes  which  in  that  latitude,  on  a  wintry  Island,  gave  birth 
to  a  literature  whose  vigor  and  originality  and  high  imagin 
ation  have  not  been  surpassed  in  the  early  literature  of  any 
modern  race,  still  work  upon  the  descendants  of  the  Northmen. 

Now,  even  as  ten  centuries  ago  in  Iceland,  the  people 
enjoy  a  kind  of  democratic  kingdom,  where  one  man 
nominally  is  chief  or  king,  but  where  the  real  power  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  Bonders  or  peasant-farmers.  They  have 
the  free  communal  life — the  right  to  govern  themselves  in 
small  matters  as  well  as  great.  They  are  continually  trained 
in  oratory,  the  arts  of  an  Assembly  and  the  management  of 
public  affairs.  This,  of  all  schools,  is  the  best,  and  can  over 
balance  the  advantages  from  books  and  teachers. 

The  climate  and  the  vast  solitudes  drive  men  within  their 
own  homes  during  the  long  winter  evenings,  and  give  occa 
sion  still,  as  of  old,  for  a  Saga  literature — a  literature  of 
tales  and  history,  and  almost  stern  poetry,  which  is  trans 
mitted  year  by  year  around  the  roaring  fire,  from  one  gener 
ation  to  another.  Such  people,  though  not  drilled  in  mathe 
matics  and  physics,  cannot  be  called  ignorant.  They  have 
unwritten  histories  and  poems  not  in  books  ;  and  thoughts, 
nurtured  by  their  grand  solitary  scenery,  which  are  not 
given  by  religious  writers,  and  yet  which  touch  on  the 
greatest  mysteries  of  existence  and  immortality. 

The  strong,  weather-beaten  features  of  the  Norwegian 
peasant  give  you  no  impression  of  ignorance.  The  expres 
sion  is  shrewd,  reserved,  and  often  sad  or  solemn — as  of 
men  much  with  great  thoughts,  which  they  could  not  or 


198  THE    N 

would  not   express.      The  questions  you   are  asked  show 
everywhere  quick,  active  minds. 

When,  at  length,  the  defective  system  of  "  Circulating- 
Schools  "  is  improved,  we  may  believe  that  Norway,  in  an 
intelligent  and  educated  population,  will  stand  equal  with 
any  country  in  the  world. 


I  I, 


Sweden 


199 


CHAPTER     XVII. 

GOTTENBUKG. 

AFTER  a  most  agreeable  rest  in  Christiania  of  a  week,  I 
took  the  steamer  over  to  Gottenburg,  my  wife  returning  to 
England  by  the  Hull  steamer.  We  had  a  passage  of  some 
twelve  hours,  and,  on  arriving  at  the  quay,  the  luggage  was 
examined  as  strictly  as  if  it  were  a  strange  country — a  cir 
cumstance  which  called  forth  many  sarcasms  on  the  Swedish 
Union  with  Norway. 

The  hotel  at  which  I  was  lodged  I  found  intolerable — the 
Got  ha  Kdllare — dirty,  bad-smelling,  with  no  conveniences  for 
eating,  or  hardly  for  sleeping.  Price,  about  twenty-five 
cents  a  day  for  a  room.  I  had  no  cause,  however,  to  com 
plain,  for  a  very  agreeable  and  intelligent  gentleman  to 
whom  I  had  letters,  took  compassion  on  me,  and  carried  me 
out  of  town,  to  his  villa,  a  little  gem  of  a  home,  where  I 
have  been  staying  since.  In  his  neighborhood  are  a  variety 
of  very  handsome  places — houses  with  large  gardens  and 
groves — where  people  live  in  considerable  style.  They  are 
principally  the  villas  of  the  wealthy  merchants,  doing  busi 
ness  in  the  city.  All  speat:  English,  and  their  manners  are 
exceedingly  cordial  and  agreeable,  with  a  certain  sincerity 

9*  201 


202  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

and  half-seriousness  of  tone,  which  inspire  confidence.  They 
seem  usually  intelligent  and  even  cultured  men. 

I  had  the  opportunity,  on  my  first  Sunday,  of  hearing 
Bishop  Thomauder  preach — the  leading  pulpit-orator  of 
Sweden.  The  church  was  crowded  to  the  doors.  The 
order  of  exercises  was  the  same  as  I  have  already  described 
in  Norway — the  usual  Lutheran  liturgy  and  form.  The 
Bishop  was  attired  in  a  black  surplice,  with  a  brilliant 
embroidered  cross  on  his  back.  Like  most  great  orators, 
he  was  a  man  of  large,  heavy  physique.  His  manner  was 
very  easy  and  voice  rich  and  powerful,  as  of  a  man  accus 
tomed  to  address  large  audiences.  So  far  as  I  could  see,  he 
read  his  sermon,  with  occasional  bursts  of  extemporaneous 
oratory.  From  my  want  of  familiarity  with  the  language, 
and  the  distance  where  I  stood,  I  could  make  out  but  little 
of  the  address.  He  has  the  reputation  of  a  man  more  fer 
vid  than  profound. 

Aug. . — I  have  been  visiting  with  my  friend,  the 

various  charitable  institutions  of  Gottenburg — among  these, 
the  Willinska  School  for  the  poor.  In  this  institution,  car 
pentry  and  smithery  are  learnt  by  the  boys,  beside  the  reg 
ular  school-lessons — and  by  the  girls,  knitting  and  spinning. 
Some  of  the  mechanical  work  was  excellently  done  by  the 
lads.  The  monitorial  system  is  adopted  in  the  classes,  and 
little  semi-circular  iron  rods  are  fastened  before  the  walls, 
around  which  the  class  stands,  the  monitor  being  within. 

Without  being  able  to  speak  from  much  examination,  the 
teaching  left  an  impression  on  my  mind  of  not  being  of  the 
best  quality.  Still,  the  first  thing  with  a  class  of  this  kind, 


CHARITIES.  203 

is  to  elevate  the  morals  and  affections — not  to  sharpen  the 
intellect. 

The  managers  had  employed  the.  plan  so  successfully 
carried  out  in  New- York,  of  sending  the  children  away,  to 
be  placed  in  reliable  and  religious  families,  rather  than  keep 
them  in  an  asylum.  They  had  not,  however,  connected  with 
it  the  method  of  constant  communication  with  these  chil 
dren  thus  sent  out,  as  has  been  done  at  home,  with  such 
excellent  results. 

The  Poor-House,  seemed  a  better  managed  institution 
than  such  are  usually  with  us.  The  buildings  were  of  the 
best  quality,  and  the  arrangements  for  ventilation  and 
warmth  very  practical.  The  principal  work  was  mangling, 
which  the  inmates  do  for  the  public. 

The  Chalmerska  Skolan  is  a  higher  class  of  school,  being 
;i  kind  of  polytechnique  school  for  laborers  and  mechanics. 
Here  drawing  and  modelling  are  taught,  and  various  natural 
sciences.  There  are  laboratories,  and  well-furnished  rooms 
of  philosophical  instruments,  connected  with  it,  together 
with  a  reading-room.  The  whole  is  free  for  working  men ! 
An  institution  so  enlightened,  neither  New- York  nor  Boston 
yet  have. 

I  visited  another  school,  principally  for  teaching  drawing 
and  designing,  intended  for  the  same  class.  The  public 
schools  are  usually  of  a  high  class.  There  is  here,  also,  a 
Normal  School,  for  the  instruction  of  teachers. 


204  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 


THE    CITY. 

GOTTENBURG  leaves  a  pleasant  impression  on  one.  There 
are  many  handsome,  busy  streets  in  it,  and  the  country  sur 
rounding  is  picturesque.  The  river,  the  Gota,  is  thronged 
on  its  banks  and  on  the  water  with  trade,  and  the  town 
has  stretched  far  beyond  its  old  limits. 

The  story  of  its  foundation  is,  that  the  king,  Gustavus  II. 
Adolphus  (in  1618),  on  a  visit  to  the  neighborhood  to 
determine  the  situation  of  the  new  city,  stood  on  the  top 
of  the  mountain,  Otterhallan,  surrounded  by  his  counsellors 
and  generals,  when  a  small  bird,  chased  by  an  eagle,  flew 
to  the  feet  of  the  king,  and  there  sought  refuge.  This 
seemed  to  the  king  a  sign  from  Heaven,  and  he  at  once 
resolved  that  the  new  town  should  be  laid  out  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountain.  In  the  words  of  a  friend,  "Future  has  proved 
that  the  king  was  in  the  right,  and  trade  has  often,  in  the 
safe  and  always  open  harbor  of  GOTHEBORG,  found  a  refuge 
against  its  enemies  and  oppressors.7' 

The  first  inhabitants  were  mostly  Dutch  merchants,  called 
into  the  country  by  the  king.  The  city  still  retains  the 
memory  of  them,  in  the  appearance  of  the  town — especially 
in  the  canal-intersected  streets,  once  shaded  by  trees. 

Gottenburg  rose  very  slowly  to  its  present  rank.  The 
first  great  impulse  to  its  growth  was  given  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  last  century,  by  an  enormous  herring-fishery, 
which  was  carried  on,  on  the  west  coast  of  Sweden,  for 
about  forty  years.  Great  riches  were  accumulated  by  it  ; 


RISE    OF    THE    CITY.  205 

but  suddenly,  in  1812,  the  fish  left  the  coast  from  unknown 
causes,  and  have  never  returned. 

During  the  years  from  1810  to  1815,  the  wars  of  Napo 
leon  and  the  Continental  System  brought  in  a  rich  harvest 
to  Gottenburg.  All  the  trade  of  Northern  Europe  then 
passed  through  this  city,  as  it  was  the  only  open  port, 
through  which  the  manufactured  goods  of  England  could 
be  imported  into  Russia  and  North  Germany.  The  harbor 
could  not  receive  all  the  ships  that  entered,  the  goods 
were  stored  in  the  open  street ;  and  wealth  increased  im 
mensely. 

With  the  fall  of  Napoleon,  the  city  again  retook  its 
former  position.  The  only  lasting  advantage  which  re 
mained  from  these  prosperous  days,  was  the  handsome  style 
in  which  the  town  was  rebuilt,  and  the  splendid  houses 
erected  by  the  merchants  for  their  residence.  Property 
fell  so  much,  that  many  of  these  buildings  could  not  sell 
again  for  half  their  value. 

In  1832,  a  work  was  concluded  which  has  steadily  raised 
Gottenburg  to  its  present  position — the  opening  of  the  Gotha 
Canal,  "that  splendid  and  immortal  work  of  a  poor  Na 
tion/'  as  a  Swedish  friend  calls  it.  By  this  canal,  through 
which  vessels  can  pass  Sweden  from  the  North  Sea  to  the 
Baltic  without  paying  the  heavy  Danish  Sound-dues,  Got- 
teuburg  became  the  new  centre  of  the  imports  to  Sweden, 
and  at  the  same  time,  the  great  commercial  entrepot  for 
the  export^  of  the  rich  central  provinces  of  Sweden.  The 
town  now  commands  the  largest  inland  navigation  of  any 
town  in  the  country,  and  it  is  believed,  that  when  the  rail- 


206  THE 

way,  now  being  opened  between  Stockholm  and  Gottenburg, 
is  finished,  the  advantages  to  its  trade  will  be  scarcely  less 
than  from  the  canal. 

For  the  last  ten  years,  the  business  of  the  city  has  been 
continually  increasing  ;  and  the  Swedes  claim  that  next 
to  Marseilles,  Dantzic,  and  Constantinople,  Gottenburg  has 
made  the  greatest  progress  in  that  time  of  any  of  the  trad 
ing  cities  of  Europe. 

Within  the  same  time,  the  city  has  been  lighted  by  gas, 
the  streets  paved  with  cut-stones,  sidewalks  laid  with  sand 
stone,  all  the  quays  rebuilt  with  hewn  stones,  a  large  hos 
pital  has  been  erected,  and  an  extensive  Work-house  for 
the  poor  ;  and  last  year  a  plan  for  a  harbor  was  drawn 
up  and  immediately  adopted,  at  the  estimated  cost  of  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  embracing  in  its  features 
the  furnishing  the  banks  of  the  river,  for  nearly  two  miles, 
with  granite  quays. 

The  last  three  years  have  been  equally  fortunate  for 
Gottenburg,  with  the  rest  of  Sweden.  The  war  of  the 
neighboring  powers,  the  improved  agriculture,  and  the  more 
enlightened  commercial  policy  of  Sweden,  have  all  con 
tributed  to  swell  immensely  the  business  of  the  country. 
Ten  years  ago,  the  export  of  grain  was  almost  unknown, 
from  Sweden.  In  1855,  Sweden  exported  nearly  two  mil 
lions  of  barrels  of  grain,  amounting  in  value  to  more  than 
the  whole  of  the  iron  exports.  Gottenburg  and  its  imme 
diate  connections  on  the  western  coast,  partook  in  this  to 
the  amount  of  five  hundred  and  sixty-nine  thousand  two 
hundred  and  forty-four  barrels  ;  of  these,  three  hundred  and 


EXPORTS.  207 

eighty-seven  thousand,  nine  hundred  and  thirty-two  barrels 
were  of  oats,  which  went  almost  all  to  England — making 
nearly  one  third  of  the  whole  exports  of  oats  into  England 
from  all  countries  for  that  year.  The  greatest  part  of  the 
rye  exported  goes  to  Holland.* 

The  whole  impression  left  on  my  mind  by  these  facts, 
and  my  own  observations  of  Gottenburg,  was  that  it  con 
tained  a  very  enlightened  and  public-spirited  population, 
much  superior,  as  I  afterwards  discovered,  to  the  mercantile 
people  of  any  other  city  of  Sweden. 

*  For  these  statistics,  and  much  of  the  information  about  Gotten 
burg,  I  am  indebted  to  a  very  intelligent  gentleman,  well  known 
in  the  mercantile  world,  Mr.  OLOF  WYK. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

COTTON    SPINNERS    IN    SWEDEN. 

THE  gentleman  whom  I  was  visiting,  kindly  offered  me 
the  use  of  his  pleasant  travelling  carriage,  to  post  out  to  a 
very  retired  and  unknown  district  some  fifty  miles  distant, 
where  we  could  see  something  of  the  home  manufacturing 
of  Sweden.  He  said,  beside,  we  should  meet  a  class  of 
people  which  were  quite  peculiar  to  Sweden — the  ancient 
peasantry  or  Bonders,  changing  into  rich  manufacturers.  I 
was,  of  course,  very  glad  of  the  opportunity.  The  kindness 
and  courtesy  of  the  offer  corresponded  to  what  met  me  from 
the  beginning  to  the  end  of  my  journey  in  Sweden. 

We  started  out  on  a  fresh  August  morning,  over  a  rocky 
country,  with  occasional  pine  or  beech  woods,  and  cleared 
fields,  where  oats,  or  barley,  or  potatoes  were  growing, 
being  much  such  a  district  as  one  would  pass  over  in  New 
England — many  streams  and  lakes  near  the  roadside,  and 
woods  covering  the  hills  in  the  distance.  Now  and  then  a 
white  church  tower,  with  its  black  conical  top,  crowning 
some  summit  in  the  distance.  The  country  seemed  poor, 
and  not  much  populated  :  sometimes  we  passed  long 
stretches  without  seeing  a  house.  As  in  Norway,  there 

203 


SWEDISH    POSTING.  209 

were  no  villages,  but  large  farms,  where  a  number  of  peo 
ple  lived  together.  The  houses  had  not  the  peculiar  Nor 
wegian  character  of  brown,  neatly  laid  logs,  but  were  red 
or  yellow  frame-buildings,  not  different  from  our  American 
farm-houses.  The  post-stations  seemed  the  important  places 
on  the  road,  and  had  evidently  the  best  fields  and  buildings 
about  them. 

Posting  in  Sweden  is  not  at  all  so  easy  a  matter  as  in 
Norway,  unless  Forlud  (orders  for  horses)  are  sent  on 
before.  The  people  now  have  great  need  for  their  horses 
in  the  farm-work.  At  the  second  station  we  waited  two 
hours,  while  they  sent  to  the  peasant  whose  turn  it  was  to 
furnish  horses.  Probably  he  was  obliged  to  take  them  from 
haying  in  the  middle  of  the  work,  to  have  them  beaten  and 
worked  for  the  next  course  (six  miles),  as  only  post-horses 
are  worked.  For  all  this,  he  gets  from  the  traveller,  for 
both  horses,  one  dollar  banco — or  forty  cents.  It  is  a 
burdensome  and  stupid  system,  which  ought  long  ago  to 
have  been  changed  in  a  country  where  horse  and  man  are 
of  any  value.  Near  this  station  we  came  on  the  first  evi 
dence  of  the  manufactures  we  were  approaching  :  a  long 
train  of  little  one-horse  carts,  each  with  his  bale,  or  bale 
and  a  half  of  cotton,  driving  laboriously  on  to  the  spinners 
and  factories.  This  alone  would  show  the  difficulty  of  manu 
facture  in  such  an  out-of-the-way  spot.  The  freight  from  the 
sea  is  several  dollars  on  each  bale. 

As  we  had  no  introductions  to  any  one,  and  but  few 
knew  much  of  the  district,  we  were  obliged  to  inquire  from 
station  to  station.  They  all  said  the  same — that  these  new 


210  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

cotton  lords,  though  peasants,  were  very  rich  and  would 
welcome  strangers  gladly. 

At  length  we  canie  to  one  of  the  best-looking  farming 
establishments  on  the  road,  with  the  side  to  the  highway 
open.  Everything  was  extremely  clean  and  comfortable  in 
appearance  ;  no  dirt  or  carts  or  pigs  about  the  court-yard  ; 
but  large  barns  and  stables,  as  if  all  was  stored  and  housed 
properly.  The  best  of  the  dwelling-houses  was  shaded  with 
cool,  green  beeches  and  lindens.  We  went  at  once  to  the 
door,  and  a  bluff  ruddy  man,  dressed  like  a  farmer,  met  us. 
My  friend  introduced  me  as  an  American,  and  said  that  we 
desired  to  see  something  of  his  manufacturing.  He  replied 
very  cordially,  and  invited  us  in.  Sherry  and  port,  with 
cigars,  were  brought  in  at  his  order,  by  a  maid.  He  asked 
some  questions  about  America — then  rose,  poured  out  the 
glasses,  and  we  rose,  sipped  and  bowed  to  each  other.  He 
said  that  unluckily  he  himself  could  only  show  us  his  stock, 
for  the  work  was  done  by  families  in  the  neighborhood  and 
by  his  factory  at  some  little  distance. 

I  inquired  about  the  mode  and  amount  of  his  manufac 
turing. 

He  said  he  supplied  the  spinners  in  the  families  with  the 
cotton,  and  the  weavers  with  the  yarn,  which  they  made  up 
for  him,  getting  so  much  a  piece.  He  also  had  a  share  in  a 
cotton-spinning  factory.  He  kept  employed  about  1,500 
spindles  in  fifteen  different  counties,  and  some  1,200  looms 
in  families. 

The  cotton  he  imported  amounted  to  nearly  2,000  bales 
a  year;  the  wages  paid  out  by  him  were  some  $3,000  a  month. 


A   COUNTRY  SHOP.  211 

The  weavers  (women)  could  earn  about  thirty-six  cents  a 
day,  which  was  about  the  same  as  the  wages  of  a  farm 
laborer. 

We  went  out  to  look  at  his  stock.  The  "  shop"  was  one 
of  the  dwelling-houses  of  the  square,  and  here  the  country 
people  came  to  purchase  of  him.  The  different  packages  of 
calicoes  were  in  piles  in  the  bed-rooms  of  the  house — mostly 
patterns  of  bright  colors  for  peasants'  dresses  or  'kerchiefs  ; 
some  very  neatly  colored,  and  nearly  all  stamped  with  the 
hand.  A  few  he  had  stamped  and  colored  in  a  neighboring 
factory.  He  always  sold,  he  said,  at  twelve  months'  credit. 
The  handkerchiefs  were  six  cents  to  eight  cents  an  ell  (two- 
tliirds  of  a  yard)  ;  common  calicoes,  five  cents  ;  cloths, 
twelve  cents.  For  the  weaving  of  these,  he  paid  two  cents 
an  ell. 

After  spending  some  time  here,  we  went,  at  my  request, 
to  his  farm  buildings.  The  barns  have  not  the  Norwegian 
improvement  of  an  entry  on  the  second  story,  but  are  like 
the  old-fashioned  barns  with  us.  The  stables  were  very 
neatly  kept.  He  had  eight  or  ten  horses,  some  of  good 
blood  evidently,  valued,  he  said,  at  from  seventy-five  dollars 
to  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  The  grain  in  his  grana 
ries  was  mostly  rye  and  barley.  He  has  a  separate  brew- 
house  and  bake-house.  The  farm  implements  were  more 
like  our  own  than  I  have  found  in  Norwegian  husbandry. 
The  only  machinery  I  saw,  was  a  large  threshing-machine 
turned  by  horses.  All  that  he  raises  is  consumed  by  his 
own  family. 

At  about  nine,  we  were  called  in  to  supper.     At  first,  we 


212  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

all  eat,  standing,  smorbordet  or  a  little  bread  and  cheese  and 
anchovies — the  others  taking  a  small  glass  of  corn-whisky 
along  with  this.  Then  each  with  folded  hands  stands  a, 
moment  for  a  silent  grace,  which  is  closed  with  a  kind  of 
obeisance — and  we  sit  down. 

The  first  course  was  perch,  handed  by  a  neatly  dressed 
maid  to  each  ;  then  pieces  of  stewed  hare,  served  in  the 
same  way  ;  then  a  very  delicious  cake,  eaten  with  sauce 
(miiTika?-).  No  tea  was  on  the  table,  but  beer  and  port  and 
sherry.  The  only  thing  characteristic  of  our  host's  position, 
was  his  working  dress,  and  the  fact  that  his  wife  did  not 
come  to  table.  At  the  close,  we  rose  and  shook  hands 
with  our  host,  thanking  him  for  the  meal. 

At  a  good  hour,  we  were  shown  into  a  handsome  bed 
room  ;  the  maid  took  our  boots  and  clothes  to  brush,  and 
we  laid  ourselves  each  in  little  feather-beds,  soon  to  be 
dreaming  of  places  far  away. 

August .  —  Coffee  was  brought  to  the  adjoining 

room  at  a  comfortably  late  hour  the  next  morning.  This 
apartment  is  the  salon — the  ball-room  of  the  house,  with 
some  very  handsome  pieces  of  furniture,  white  secretaries, 
painted  and  gilded,  and  a  clock  about  seven  feet  high, 
white,  with  gilded  edging.  There  are  some  pretty  little 
tables,  but  no  curtains,  and  the  floor  is  of  plain  boards. 
At  nine  o'clock  we  met  in  the  room  below  stairs,  for  break 
fast.  This  room,  again,  had  some  very  rich  articles  of 
furniture  of  polished  birch  and  another  huge  clock ;  handsome 
silver  plate  was  on  the  table.  The  floor  was  uncarpeted, 
with  little-  spittoons  here  and  there  filled  with  pine  twigs, 


THE   PATRON.  213 

for  the  Scandinavian  habit  ;  and  in  each  corner  of  the  room 
was  a  plain  wooden  bench,  like  those  in  ale-houses. 

Our  host  is  a  jovial  fellow,  and  gives  us  a  hearty  greet 
ing.  We  again  take  of  the  bread  and  butter  and  salt  meat, 
as  a  prelude,  declining  the  usual  glass  of  port ;  the  same 
silent  grace  again,  and  we  fall  to  work.  The  Patron  (as 
they  call  him)  asks  questions  of  America  ;  says  he  gets 
his  cotton  direct  from  Mobile  and  Xew  Orleans,  through 
agents  in  Gottenburg,  but  has  to  pay  heavily  for  freight 
from  the  port  to  this  place.  He  thinks  the  Americans 
a  most  clever  people  ;  but  he  says — the  old  theme — "  How 
can  such  a  nation  as  you  are  endure  Slavery  ?  I  am  sure 
you  will  finally  abolish  it."  We  ask  whether  the  tendency 
of  Sweden  to  Free  Trade  will  injure  his  business.  He 
thinks  not  ;  says  the  English  cannot  make  coarse  goods 
cheaper  than  the  Swedes,  and  they  never  will  have  goods 
of  enough  different  colors  to  suit  the  people  here  ;  "  they 
cannot,  except  by  hand-work.  In  fine  muslins,"  he  says, 
"  they  are  far  ahead  of  us,  and  will  be." 

As  one  of  the  landed  proprietors,  or  squires  of  the  coun 
try,  we  ask  him  about  the  schools.  He  does  not  know 
a  great  deal  about  the  matter,  but  thinks  the  people  used 
to  be  well  enough  before  the  new  School  Law,  and  he 
considers  the  one  "established  school"  for  the  parish  as 
not  practicable.  He  prefers  instead  some  "  circulating 
schools,"  which  shall  go  from  house  to  house.  They  were 
taxed  very  heavily  already,  he  said,  and  they  did  not  like 
the  burden  of  the  school.  I  tried  to  give  him  an  impulse 
in  relating  what  we  were  willing  to  be  taxed  in  America 


214:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

for  education  ;  but  it  made  no  especial  impression  on  him. 
He  thought  the  pastor  ought  to  attend  to  it  !  It  appeared 
that  the  pastor  was  an  old  man  with  a  good  farm,  and 
two  or  three  assistants  (Comministrar),  and  did  not  trouble 
himself  much  about  such  modern  matters. 

In  giving  the  sketch  of  our  conversation,  it  is  difficult 
to  convey  the  tone  of  indifference  and  lack  of  interest 
this  man — one  of  the  great  peasant  aristocrats — had  in  the 
whole  subject,  and  yet  he  himself  was  a  "  self-made  "  man  ; 
by  his  own  cleverness  and  perseverance  he  had  erected  a 
very  considerable  manufacturing  business  and  won  himself 
wealth.  A  vigorous,  shrewd  man — one  of  that  class  who 
will  yet  raise  Sweden  to  modern  enterprise  and  activity. 

I  should  not  forget  our  breakfast,  which  was  most  hos 
pitably  and  properly  served,  with  napkins,  wines,  fish,  and 
various  dishes  in  course  ;  with  no  tea  or  coffee.  The  wife, 
evidently  a  peasant,  but  impressing  us  as  a  very  dignified 
and  intelligent  woman,  did  not  come  to  table.  The  patron 
was  much  like  a  central  New  York  or  Pennsylvania  farmer 
of  little  school  education,  and  great  education  in  the  world 
We  asked  him  once  about  politics.  He  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  said  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  them.  One 

peasant  manufacturer  in  R ,  was  always  sent  as  member 

to  the  Parliament,  and  no  one  ever  opposed  him.  The 
crown  and  clergy,  I  understood  him,  had  it  all  their  own 
way  in  the  representation  of  the  yeomanry.  He  had  the 
right  to  vote  as  a  member  of  this  class  for  his  House  of 
Parliament.  We  bid  adieu  to  him  finally,  truly  grateful 
for  his  hospitality,  and  very  much  interested  in  our  visit. 


HOME-WEAVERS.  215 


HAND-WEAVERS. 

He  directed  us  to  some  of  Ms  manufacturing  hands,  who 
lived  at  a  little  distance.  The  houses  were  pretty  little 
log-cottages,  among  flower-beds  and  potato-patches,  each 
having,  perhaps,  two  rooms.  In  the  first,  there  was  an 
arched  room  with  several  windows- — everything  clean  and 
whitewashed  within,  even  the  fire-place.  Four  women,  with 
ruddy,  cheerful  faces,  were  at  work  at  hand-looms  ;  one 
was  quite  young.  They  were  weaving  common  handker 
chiefs  and  shawls  of  bright  colors.  Everything  looked 
comfortable  and  happy  in  the  place.  There  were  curtains 
at  the  windows  perfectly  white,  and  flowers.  The  women 
all  wore  silver  brooches.  They  were  paid  by  the  master 
by  the  piece,  earning  from  twenty  cents  to  twenty-seven 
cents  a  day  ;  the  youngest,  a  mere  girl,  only  twelve  cents 
— not  poor  wages  in  a  country  where  a  carpenter  frequently 
only  gets  thirty  cents  a  day.  One  thing  characteristic  of 
Swedish  peasant  life,  was  the  several  beds  for  both  sexes 
in  the  room — here,  as  usual,  in  wooden  bunks  built  into  the 
wall,  and  in  one  instance,  covered  with  curtains. 

The  girls  talked  to  us  very  pleasantly  and  modestly.  As 
we  went  out,  we  marked  the  pretty  pointed,  almost  Gothic, 
doorway,  of  unpainted  wood,  built  on  the  house.  The  im 
pression,  as  we  re-called  it,  was  very  agreeable  of  peasant 
home  manufacturing.  We  compared  their  cheerful,  healthy 
faces,  with  the  worn  faces  of  English  "  factories,"  and  the 
aspect  of  a  certain  position  and  dignity  in  them  with  the 


216  THE    NOES  K-  F  o  LK  . 

usual  expression  of  depressed  toil  in  working  women,  with 
much  commendation  of  "  home  labor." 

In  the  next  cottage,  they  were  weaving  plain  white 
cotton  cloths,  all  the  arrangements  being  similar,  and  the 
girls  with  the  same  robust,  pleasant  looks.  One  very  old 
man  was  spinning  the  yarn  on  little  reels.  We  talked  with 
them;  they  expressed  no  discontent,  but  seemed  very  happy 
hi  their  work.  My  friend  says  they  can  all  read  and  write, 
as  indeed  every  one  must  who  would  be  confirmed  in  the 
Lutheran  church.  On  the  Sundays,  he  says,  you  will  see 
them  splendidly  attired,  sometimes  with  very  valuable  silver 
ornaments,  handed  down  from  their  forefathers. 

We  rode  on  for  some  distance  through  pretty  cross-roads, 
among  hills  and  woods,  to  visit  the  factories  beyond.  I 
have  been  told  this  is  a  very  populous  part  of  Sweden. 
If  so,  we  are  away  from  the  inhabited  districts.  We  sel 
dom  pass  a  house,  and  never  a  village.  The  farms,  too, 
are  poor,  and  the  soil  thin.  Many  streams  flow  across  the 
road,  and  like  our  New  England,  it  is  evidently  a  country 
best  adapted  for  manufacture — and  what  capacities  the  soil 
had  for  agriculture  have  been  neglected  for  this  newer  labor. 
The  crops  are  oats,  barley,  rye,  potatoes,  and  grass.  We 
saw  no  orchards. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

SWEDISH     HOME-MANUFACTURES. 

THE  first  factory  to  which  we  were  directed,  after 
visiting  the  weavers,  was  built,  I  think,  in  1853.  The 
building  is  of  stone,  but  the  surrounding  boarding-houses  of 
wood.  The  clerk  introduced  us  into  his  sitting-room,  and 
wine  and  cigars  were  of  course  produced.  We  begged  off, 
finally,  and  drank  his  health  in  pure  water.  Fortunately  he 
spoke  English,  and,  I  found,  had  several  English  foremen 
and  workmen.  The  factory  is  for  spinning  yarn.  There  are 
200  hands  employed,  and  16,000  spindles.  The  capital  was 
originally  about  $150,000  ;  some  $170,000  has  been  laid  out 
on  it,  thus  far,  with  very  good  return.  One  of  the  English 
men  accompanied  us  over  the  works.  Most  of  the  hands 
were  women,  though  many  children  were  at  the  spindles, 
seemingly  working  very  skillfully — some  must  have  been  as 
young  as  seven  or  eight  years.  Generally,  their  faces 
looked  pale  and  not  healthy. 

The  foreman  pointed  out  to  us  child  after  child  who  had 
been  beggars  on  the  highway,  and  were  now  industrious 
workers  in  the  establishment.  Each  one  has  to  attend 
school  a  certain  number  of  hours  every  day,  he  said  ;  and, 

10  217 


218  THE    NoBSE-FoLK. 

according  to  Swedish  law,  every  factory  employing  children 
must  sustain  a  school.  I  asked  him  about  the  capacity  of 
the  Swed<*s  for  machinery.  "  They  have  a  great  capability, 
sir,  for  the  spindles  ;  they  are  such  a  patient  set,  you  know. 
But  the  women,  sir,  there's  the  rub  !  They  were  never 
accustomed  to  such  close  work.  Always  at  'orne,  they've 
been  in  the  'abit  of  talkin'  and  chattiu,'  you  know,  as  they 
work,  and  I  find  it  very  'ard  to  keep  'em  hattentive  and  cou- 
sideratesome.  And  they  are  so  tricky.  Why,  two  Swedish 
women  can't  possibly  meet  without  a  little  dance,  just  to 
gether,  which  won't  do  you  know  here,  sir.  But  they'll 
learn.  It's  a  young  nation,  sir  ;  very  young.  Every  thing- 
is  young  here — even  the  craggy  rocks  ;  they  are  all  primary, 
you  know  !  It  will  take  time — time,  sir,  before  they  do  as 
the  English  and  Americans." 

I  inquired  as  to  the  morality  generally  of  the  factory. 

"It  is  good,  sir — good  !  And  there's  been  a  great  pro 
gressive  movement  in  the  last  two  years.  Of  course,  it  isn't 
like  England.  You  know  how  it  is  with  the  women — they 
don't  look  hon  some  things  as  we  do.  I  believe  they  really 
think  it  a  credit  to  be  found  in  a  family-way,  nobody  knows 
how.  Then  they  all  sleep  so,  men  and  women  in  one  room, 
and  they  don't  seem  to  think  anything  of  it.  They  don't  care 
for  some  things  which  an  English  woman  never  could  put  hup 
with.  But  I  believe  we  don't  'ave  more  than  one  or  two  ille 
gitimates  every  year — which  is  very  good,  you  know,  here." 

"  How  is  it  with  the  drinking  ?"  I  inquired. 

"  It  is  not  so  bad  now.  There's  been  a  great  reform  in 
that,  too.  When  I  first  came  here,  a  gallon  of  finkel  used 


ENGLISH    FOREMAN.  219 

to  be  about  nine  pence,  and  now  it  costs  three  or  four 
shillings.  Government  has  laid  such  a  duty  on  the  stilling 
of  it,  and  it's  so  hard  to  get  it.  Of  course,  some  days  they 
will  'aye  a  '  burst/  but  it  isn't  often." 

The  women,  he  says,  earn  by  piece-work  about  $1,50  to 
$1,75  a  week;  men,  from  $1,50  to  $3,50  j  and  the  chil 
dren  from  10  cents  to  24  cents  a  day. 

The  freight  from  Gottenburg,  or  from  Warberg,  by  the 
peasant's  carts,  is  alone  five  or  six  dollars,  ($1,35  to  $1,62) 
for  every  bale.  When  the  railroad  to  Boras  is  done,  they 
will  be  quite  near  the  great  means  of  communication.  The 
machinery  is  all  Manchester  work. 

We  visited  the  school.  There  were  fifty-three  scholars  in 
it,  with  a  rather  stupid-looking  old  man  as  teacher.  All  the 
children  were  bawling  out  their  catechism  together,  evi 
dently  with  no  more  idea  what  the  sacred  words  meant  than 
if  they  had  been  Indian  incantations.  And  this  is  what  the 
Swedes  everywhere  call  "  teaching  religion." 

As  we  went  out,  the  Englishman  said  :  "  You  see  it 
haint  here  just  as  it  is  in  our  countries.  They  don't  know 
much  about  all  that  ;  but  they  have  to  be  confirmed,  helse 
they  couldn't  be  citizens  or  anything  else,  and  they  goes 
into  the  sacrament  as  a  sort  of  business,  you  know.  Perhaps 
some  of  'ein  really  feels  it,  poor  creatures  ! — but  I  don't 
think  the  most  of  'em  cares  or  knows  much  about  it.  They 
leaves  it  to  the  parsons." 

We  again  drove  on  through  a  rather  picturesque  country, 
with  no  especial  cultivation,  as  yet,  and  sparsely  peopled,  to 


220  THENORSE-FOLK. 

some  new  factories.     The  first  one  at  W ,  was  a  great 

stone  building,  in  the  style  of  our  best  factories  at  Lowell 
or  Lawrence.  It  was  not  quite  finished,  though  the  machi 
nery  (all  from  England)  was  already  there.  It  was  to  have 
six  hundred  workmen,  with  about  one  thousand  looms — 
mostly,  I  believe,  for  colored  cottons,  worked,  as  are  all  by 
water-power.  This  mill,  with  those  we  visited  afterwards, 
are  owned  by  one  peasant — SVEN  ERICKSON — who  has  raised 
himself  by  his  skill  to  be  one  of  the  richest  manufacturers 
His  next  mill,  a  few  miles  farther  on,  for  weaving  and  dying 
cottons,  sheeting,  wool,  cloths,  etc.,  was  at  Rydboholm. 
The  number  of  hands  employed  is  450  ;  looms,  282.  Pro 
duce,  annual,  $800,000. 

This  factory  had  a  number  of  buildings  for  dyeing,  drying, 
etc.,  as  well  as  for  the  homes  of  the  workmen.  The  office 
was  a  bona  fide  store  for  goods,  not  a  dwelling-house.  Mr. 
E.'s  house  was  near  by,  looking  very  neat  and  comfortable. 
He  has  built,  we  understand,  a  church,  and  sustains  a  school 
for  his  operatives.  The  wages  of  women  here  'are  about 
twenty-four  cents  a  day  ;  men,  $1  00.  A  number  of  Eng 
lishmen  are  employed  about  the  works. 

As  we  stood  waiting,  several  carrioles  drove  up,  which 
were  supplied  with  horses,  and  then,  after  the  gentlemen 
had  conferred  a  little  with  the  people  within,  drove  on. 
These  are  the  buyers,  we  hear,  who  are  very  handsomely 
entertained  and  forwarded  from  one  factory  to  another,  free 
of  expense. 

After  leaving  this  factory,  we  entered  on  a  much  more 


PEASANT    MANUFACTURERS.          221 

cultivated  and  rich-looking  country — a  broad  valley,  with 
very  nice  and  roomy  farm-houses  on  the  hill-sides,  one 
farm  having  sometimes  six  or  eight  houses,  and  fields  show 
ing  a  far  better  culture.  The  houses  were  usually  of  wood, 
two  or  three  stories,  painted  some  pleasant  modest  color, 
with  French  windows.  Many  have  large  stables,  and  hand 
some  travelling-carriages  in  the  yards.  This  is  the  especial 
district  of  the  rich  peasant  manufacturers — men  as  proud  and 
independent  as  any  in  the  land,  but  not  yet  having  lost  all  the 
peculiarities  of  their  class.  They  form  a  kind  of  turning- 
point  between  the  ancient  and  the  modern  world. 

I  was  interested  to  see  near  some  of  the  houses  on  the 
edge  of  the  river,  bathing-houses,  in  modern  style. 

We  drove  to  one  of  the  handsomest  houses,  entered  and 
said  to  the  "gentleman,  we  would  like  to  look  at  his  goods. 
Here,  again,  as  in  the  other  houses,  they  were  piled  in  bed 
rooms  and  sitting-rooms — colored  shawls,  handkerchiefs,  cot 
tons  for  dresses,  etc.,  etc.  The  people  worked  for  their 
master  in  their  own  cottages,  and  brought  it  to  him  ;  here 
he  sold,  also,  to  the  peasants,  always  at  twelve  months 
credit,  charging  two  per  cent,  a  month.  The  prices  were 
very  low. 

The  manufacturer  himself,  in  this  case,  was  much  more 
peasant-like  than  any  we  had  seen,  having  a  low,  animal 
face. 

From  this  we  drove  to  the  parsonage,  a  comfortable 
three-story  house  on  a  hill,  amid  gardens  and  trees,  and 
introduced  ourselves.  The  parson  insisted  we  should  take 
supper  with  him,  and  then  was  equally  urgent  for  us  to 


222  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

spend  the  night.  We  resisted  long,  but  the  refusal  seemed 
so  to  injure  his  hospitable  feelings,  that  at  length  we  gave 
way,  and  carriage,  servant  and  all,  spent  the  night  there. 


THE    PARSONAGE    AND    SQUIRE. 

Our  host  was  not  the  chief  clergyman,  but  a  vicar  or 
assistant  (comminister) .  His  house  looked  very  neat  and 
comfortable,  with  marks  of  sufficient  means  about  it.  He 
himself  impressed  one  as  a  mild,  amiable  gentleman.  I  told 
him  soon  that  one  of  my  especial  objects  was  to  investigate 
the  schools  of  Sweden,  and  inquired  about  those  in  his  par 
ish.  I  had  touched  evidently  on  a  sore  topic.  He  uttered 
sadly  his  grievances.  Since  the  new  regulation  of  the  min 
istry,  establishing  a  school  in  every  parish,  the  former  circu 
lating  schools  had  been  given  up,  and  now  the  peasants  live 
so  far  from  this  school— some  four  or  five  miles — that  the 
children  did  not  attend  regularly.  Besides,  breaking  up  the 
old  system  separated  the  children  from  the  parents  very 
much.  Before,  the  teacher  of  the  circulating  school  would 
be  aided  often  by  the  parents,  and  they  felt  a  personal 
responsibility  in  the  improvement  of  the  children.  Now,  it 
is  all  in  the  hands  of  the  teacher,  and  he  is  not  fully  compe 
tent.  He  has  been  a  year  at  the  Normal  School  at  Gotten- 
burg,  but  that  was  not  enough  to  improve  him  ;  and  in  mat 
ters  of  religion,  especially,  he  could  not  teach  the  children 
properly. 

I  suggested  whether.it  would  not  be  a  better  arrangement 


SCHOOL-TBOUBLES.  223 

to  take  the  whole  matter  of  religion  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
teacher,  and  leave  it  in  his  (the  pastor's)  hands.  "  Yes,"  he 
answered,  "  it  would  be  ;  but  if  they  can  have  a  foundation 
laid  of  the  knowledge  of  the  first  principles,  it  would  assist 
me  very  much  in  afterward  instructing  them  for  the  confir 
mation."  My  friend  suggested  that  two  schools,  one  circu 
lating  and  one  established,  might  meet  the  difficulty  regard 
ing  the  distance,  etc.  Mr.  L.  admitted  that  they  would,  but 
doubted  if  the  people  would  be  willing  to  pay  the  tax. 
There  was  much  opposition  already  to  paying  so  heavily  for 
schools. 

AYe  mentioned  then  Count  Rudenskold's  plan — which 
has  already  been  tried — of  having  little  infant  schools 
taught  in  the  houses  by  some  old  woman  or  intelligent  girl 
at  a  small  price,  and  making  these  the  preparation  for  the 
"  established  school,"  so  that  the  parents  might  have  some 
share  in  the  education,  and  the  difficulties  of  expense  and 
distance  be  avoided.  He  thought  such  a  plan  might  suc 
ceed.  We  asked  whether  this  teaching  of  Religion,  as  a 
school  study,  did  not  make  children  think  it  was  merely  a 
lesson  and  not  a  matter  of  life.  He  allowed  it  often  did  ; 
but  still  they  ought  to  know  the  facts,  he  said,  and  they 
require  it  for  Confirmation. 

Of  the  morality  of  the  people — the  factory  workmen,  and 
the  weavers  —he  gave  very  nearly  such  an  account  as  we 
had  heard  before,  along  the  journey — that  the  people, 
though  needing  much  improvement,  were  better  than  the 
mass  of  the  same  classes  elsewhere  in  Sweden. 

Certainly,  statistics  begin  to  show  that  not  manufacture 


224  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

but  agriculture  draws  after  it  the  lowest  state  of  morals  ; 
that  is,  where  manufacture  really  is  a  means  of  living,  and 
not  a  means  of  crushing  the  poor  and  weak. 

The  Temperance  Societies,  he  thought,  had  mostly  failed. 
The  people  only  signed  to  break,  but  the  consumption  of 
brandy  had  immensely  diminished,  especially  owing  to  the 
restrictions  placed  upon  it  by  government.  His  parish,  he 
informed  us,  numbered  between  four  and  five  thousand,  and 
had  four  clergymen  and  five  schools. 

We  sat  down,  at  9  o'clock,  to  a  very  simple,  good  supper, 
with  milk  instead  of  the  almost  universal  accompaniment, 
wine  ;  and  after  the  silent  grace  at  the  close,  and  shaking 
hands,  we  were  showed  to  comfortable  beds  in  aii  upper 
room. 

From  this  point  our  ride  was  through  a  much  better 
country,  with  well-kept  fields  of  wheat  and  rye  and  oats. 
The  farm-houses  were  of  two  or  three  stories, 'well  painted, 
and  with  nice  windows,  and  had  all  spacious  guest-houses, 
and  bakeries,  and  stables.  Here  dwell  the  rich,  aristocratic 
peasant  manufacturers  of  Sweden — a  class  not  yet  raised 
out  of  its  ancient  position,  but,  with  wealth  and  enterprise, 
certain  soon  to  be  thoroughly  modernized.  The  clergyman 
accompanied  us  to  one  of  the  oldest  of  these  manufacturers 
and  squires,  now  retired  from  active  business.  His  parents, 
we  understood,  had  been  so  opposed  in  the  beginning  to  the 
manufacturing  in  Sweden,  that  they  had  made  it  a  boast 
never  "  to  have  worn  in  their  lives  a  thread  of  cotton !" 

The  farm  was  the  usual  square  of  houses,  painted  red, 


THE    SQUIRE.  225 

and  we  entered  the  principal  dwelling  from  the  court-yard 
within.  The  peasant-proprietor  met  us  at  the  doorway. 
He  is  a  tall,  dignified  man,  with  small  finely-cut  features, 
hair  parted  in  the  middle,  and  an  expression  of  much  intelli 
gence  and  character  on  his  face.  His  coat  was  of  the 
national  costume,  black,  reaching  to  the  ankles  ;  he  wore 
breeches,  a  close-buttoning  black  waistcoat  and  black  neck 
erchief  without  collar.  His  wife,  a  very  "hearty,  lively 
woman,  had  the  usual  colored  bodice.  We  were  shown 
into  a  large  saloon,  unoccupied,  with  plain  benches  in  the 
corner,  and  the  usual  large  white  gilt  clock  ;  from  this  into 
another  smaller  room,  not  differing  from  any  modern  parlor, 
with  handsome  sofa,  centre-table,  and  French  lamps. 

The  talk  at  first  was  on  the  weather  and  persons  of  the 
neighborhood.  The  only  thing  characteristic  was  a  remark 
of  the  wife  that  "  Fru  X.  had  gone  to  Dr.  D.'s  for  her 
bilious  attack,  to  try  the  Gymnastik."  I  asked  what  the 
cure  was.  She  explained  that  it  was  the  taking  small  doses, 
instead  of  large  ones.  My  friend  said,  "  Oh  !  you  mean 
Homoeopathy."  "  Yes,"  she  answered,  "  I  knew  it  was  one 
of  those  new  cures  ;  I  have  been  recommended  the  Gymnas 
tik."  It  appears,  this  practice  of  medical  gymnastics  is 
as  regular  and  profitable  a  one  in  Swe'den  as  Homoeo 
pathy  is  with  us.  It  consists  of  a  scientifically  arranged 
series  of  muscular  movements  and  exercises,  which  is  said 
to  be  of  immense  benefit  to  women,  especially  in  nervous 
disorders. 

Of  course,   wine   was   ordered   to  welcome   us,  but  we 

declined,  and  some  fruit  and  milk  were  brought  out  to  an 

10* 


226  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

arbor  in  the  garden.  There  the  peasant  read  to  us  a  peti 
tion  that  he  and  others  were  preparing  to  lay  before  the 
king  on  the  subject  of  schools.  As  the  pastor  had  told  us, 
the  present  arrangement  did  not  answer  well.  These  rich 
peasants  wanted  several  circulating  schools  to  be  started  in 
the  parish,  and  supported  from  public  tax. 

The  clergyman,  as  I  understood  it,  was  somewhat  against 
this,  still  he  did  not  wish  to  displease  his  wealthy  parishioners, 
considering  the  plan  too  expensive.  On  a  recent  meeting  of 
the  Common  Council  (socken  stamina)  of  the  village,  it  hap 
pened  that  those  in  favor  of  the  additional  schools  were  not 
present;  and  though  it  had  been  previously  voted  that  there 
should  be  more  schools  at  the  public  cost,  the  present  meet 
ing  re-considered  the  question  and  carried  the  other  motion, 
and  sent  the  resolution  to  the  government.  This  petition 
was  to  state  the  facts,  and  request  an  interference  of  the 
Ministry  in  favor  of  the  more  liberal  measure.  My  friend 
said  it  was  a  very  well-written  document. 

After  much  conversation  the  peasant  took  us  to  see  his 
stock  of  goods.  They  were  in  one  of  the  houses  of  the 
square,  and  stored  in  very  handsome  rooms — in  quality 
mostly  like  those  we  had  before  seen.  He  had  not  a  very 
large  stock,  as  lie  was  nearly  out  of  the  business,  and  occu 
pied  himself  with  his  farm.  The  peasants  who  made  them, 
brought  them  to  him,  and  he  bought  on  twelve  months' 
credit — making  a  discount  of  fifteen  or  twenty  per  cent,  if 
he  paid  cash. 

Before  we  took  leave,  he  insisted  on  a  drinking  of  healths, 
and  the  servant  brought  in  hock,  claret,  and  champagne. 


SWEDISH    YANKEES.  227 

Through  the  whole,  there  was  a  singular  mingling  of  the 
modern  customs  of  the  rich,  and  the  old  habits  of  the  peasant. 

He  impressed  me,  in  the  whole  visit,  as  a  wise,  dignified 
i.r.m,  who  was  a  gentleman  by  nature  in  whatever  peasant's 
clothes.  Such  men  will  eventually  raise  their  class — wealth 
und  wealthy  habits  will  bring  with  them  the  intelligent 
wants  of  riches.  Their  children  must  have  education. 
(The  son  of  the  house,  in  this  instance,  was  at  the  Gotten- 
burg  Commercial  Institute.)  They  will  be  superior — at 
least  in  culture — to  their  fathers  ;  and  in  a  generation  or 
two,  will  make  a  class  not  essentially  different  from  our 
New-England  countrymen — the  Yankees  of  Sweden. 

This  county  (Elfsborg),  with  a  population  of  246,000, 
sold  the  following  home-made  stuffs  in  the  following  years : 

In  1846.  In  1849. 

Cotton  Stuffs Eng.  yds.,  4,458,300 5,828,259 

Linen "  317,800 299,990 

Woollen "  392,080 419,998 

Shawls  and  Blankets Pieces,  1,502,956 1,393,212 

In  Gefleborg,  amount  sold  ill  1849 1,458,666  Yards. 

Westernorrland 200,600      " 

Halland. .  .    257,660      " 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  GOTHA  CANAL  AND  STOCKHOLM. 

THIS  grand  work  of  mechanical  science  and  business- 
enterprise  is  well  known  through  innumerable  descriptions. 
Making  use  of  the  natural  communications  of  lakes  and 
rivers,  and  cutting  through  the  solid  rock  in  its  way,  it 
has  thrown  open  a  great  inland  route  of  navigation,  through 
the  richest  parts  of  Sweden. 

The  beauty  of  scenery  in  its  course,  it  seems  to  me,  has 
been  much  exaggerated.  It  is  a  pleasant  pastoral  land 
scape  usually,  and  at  Trollhattan,  truly  picturesque  ;  but  to 
one  coming  from  Norway,  nothing  more.  As  a  voyage  of 
pleasure,  it  is  detestable.  I  have,  in  earlier  travels,  been 
thoroughly  inured  to  rough  conveyances,  and  all  sorts  of  fare ; 
but  I  never  experienced  anything  so  thoroughly  disagree 
able  as  the  accommodations  of  Gotha  canal-boats.  I  had 
applied  a  week  beforehand  for  a  state-room,  but  was  told 
they  had  all  been  engaged  for  months,  and  so  was  obliged 
to  take  a  place  in  the  general  cabin.  We  were  packed  there 
as  they  might  have  been  in  the  Black  Hole  ;  on  tables,  under 
tables,  on  chairs,  on  seats,  in  hammocks,  on  shelves — in 
every  assignable  square  inch  of  space  that  the  little  room 

228 


A    BLACK    HOLE.  229 

could  furnish — one  woman  waiting  on  the  whole  company, 
and  managing  to  steer  around  among  the  sleepers. 

I  saw  an  English  nobleman  packed  on  a  settee,  and 
his  servant  sleeping  by  his  side.  In  this  imprisonment  we 
spent  three  days  and  two  nights  ;  here  we  ate  our  meals, 
and  shivered  away  the  days,  when  the  cold  storm  blew 
over  the  deck.  Of  course,  feeble  old  gentlemen  were  de 
termined  that  the  windows  should  not  be  opened,  and  the 
state  of  air  in  our  cell  may  be  feebly  imagined. 

What  a  relief  it  was,  when  a  bright  Sunday  morning 
we  got  our  first  glimpse  of  the  beautiful  "Venice  of  the 
North"  (as  the  guide-books  call  it),  STOCKHOLM,  scattered 
about  on  its  islands,  with  picturesque  church-towers  and 
massive  buildings,  and  innumerable  boats  plying  to  and  fro, 
to  supply  its  pleasures  and  wants. 

I  had  been  warned  of  the  hotels  in  Stockholm,  and  I 
went  at  once  to  a  handsome  lodging-house  in  Drottning's 
gatan  well-recommended.  I  obtained  two  nice  rooms  for 
about  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  week  ;  and  in  half  an 
hour  felt  myself  comfortably  settled. 

***** 

Stockholm  is  a  delightful  city.  The  variety  of  aspect, 
the  gay  water,  and  the  busy  cheerful  streets  ;  the  bridges, 
and  gardens  and  quays,  the  monuments  and  grand  buildings 
make  a  wonderfully  pleasant  impression. 

You  move  about  much  in  boats,  and,  if  on  the  outskirts, 
amid  most  picturesque  bits  of  scenery.  The  finest  Park — 
in  advantages  of  Nature — of  all  Europe  is  here.  A  great 
reach  of  woods,  and  hills,  and  rocks,  with  almost  natural 


230  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

rambling  paths,  the  sea  skirting  both  sides — old,  moss-grown, 
still,  and  secluded  ;  such  a  place  for  pleasant  strolling  walks 
as  is  not,  except  in  our  own  forests, 

Then  on  another  side  of  the  city  are  beautiful  groves  and 

rambles,  towards  the  ancient  Church  of  Solna. 

• 

OF   THE   ORIGINALE   AND   SITUATION   OF   THIS  KINGLY   CITY. 

(From  Olaus  Magnus.) 

"  This  chief  city  of  the  Swedes  and  kingly  place,  Stockholm,  was 
built  from  the  foundation  by  a  most  illustrious  and  famous  man,  who 
was  the  king's  tutor,  whose  name  was  Birger  Jarl,  and  he  fortified 
it  with  walls  and  other  buildings  in  so  fit,  necessary,  and  invincible 
a  place,  that  it  is  supposed  that  he  could  never  have  done  anything 
more  commodiously ;  for  it  is  a  place  that  is  on  all  sides  fortified 
with  Torrents  (and  was  formerly  only  for  fishermen's  use),  and  is 
so  placed,  between  fresh  and  salt  water,  that  it  may  be  called  the 
port  of  all  Sweden.  For  formerly  the  Estones,  Muscovites,  Russians, 
Tavesthi,  did  constantly  pass  through  the  mouth  thereof,  and  plun 
dered  the  Swedes  privately,  who  suspected  no  hostility,  and  destroy 
ing  great  multitudes  of  men,  they  freely  and  unpunished,  loaded  with 
great  booties,  returned  to  their  own  countries.  In  which  incursion 
they  slew  John,  the  second  Archbishop  of  Upsal  in  his  own  mansion- 
house,  Alme-Steck,  and  some  other  noblemen.  But  when  this  Stock 
holm  was  built,  all  and  every  man  enjoyed  a  long  peace,  and  the 
enemies  were  in  continual  fear,  who  finding  such  a  strong  garrison 
raised  for  the  time  to  come  against  all  enemies,  forbore  to  plunder 
Sweden  any  farther.  If  any  man  shall  presume  to  beleaguer  this 
Stockholm,  and  think  to  take  it,  he  can  never  win  it ;  though  he 
should  continue  resolute  in  the  siege  thereof  every  way.  For  it  is 
situate  in  the  most  deep  waters  and  most  swift  rivers,  having  only 
two  gates  on  the  south  and  north  parts,  with  long  bridges  between 
them,  which  gates  and  bridges  cost  the  king  of  Denmark  more 


ACQUAINTANCES.  231 

money  in  a  siege  that  came  to  nothing,  than  ten  of  the  greatest 
cities  of  his  kingdom.  Nor  can  it  be  besieged  but  by  three  most 
potent  armies,  divided  into  islands  that  are  parted  by  firm  land  and 
water,  yet  those  armies  can  never  be  secure  from  bowmen  that  will 
put  them  into  fear.  Let  him  try  that  will,  and  he  shall  find  it  worse." 

Though  the  hotels  are  so  poor,  the  restaurantes  of  Stock 
holm  are  agreeable.  One  celebrated  establishment  of  this 
kind,  is  in  the  Great  Park  or  Deer  Garden,  Djvrgarden.  The 
manners  of  people,  in  families  and  in  shops,  strike  one  as  very 
polite  and  agreeable.  The  city  is  not  at  all  in  its  season — 
the  most  of  the  people  of-rank,  as  well  as  the  Court,  being  in  the 
country.  They  can  hardly  flee  the  city  for  its  heat,  as  these 
August  days  have  the  sharpness  of  our  November,  and  one 
needs  constantly  an  overcoat. 

I  spent  most  of  my  time  while  here  in  seeing  sights,  with 
which  one  is  always  bored  and  which  one  dare  never  omit. 
I  made — what  was  much  more  to  be  valued — the  acquaint 
ance  of  some  agreeable  and  intellectual  men,  not  to  be  for 
gotten.  Among  them  Mr.  SILJESTROM,  of  whom  I  shall 
speak  again  ;  Professor  RETZIUS,  the  distinguished  Professor 
of  Anatomy — a  man  whom  our  Western  orators  would  cer 
tainly  call  "a  perfect  steam-engine" — such  vivacity  and  fire 
he  has  ;  and  Rector  SVEDBOM,  Editor  of  the  Aftenbladet, 
the  principal  Stockholm  paper,  a  liberal  daily. 

It  will  certainly  not  be  out  of  place  to  express  here  my 
obligations  to  our  Minister  Resident  at  the  Swedish  Court, 
Hon.  FRANCIS  SCHRCEDER — a  gentleman  who  has  made  our 
country  respected  through  Sweden,  and  who  has  used  the 
facilities  which  his  diplomatic  character  gave  him,  to  furnish 


232  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

our  own  country  with  a  vast  quantity  of  useful  scientific 
information  relative  to  Sweden.  The  truth  is,  our  diplomates 
at  every  Court,  ought  to  have  it  understood,  that  one  of  the 
principal  objects  of  their  foreign  residence,  is  to  transmit  to 
the  Department  useful  matters  of  information  with  reference 
to  other  countries.  Thus,  and  thus  only,  would  diplomacy 
be  an  endurable  evil. 

Stockholm  is  a  very  gay  place  in  the  winter,  but  it  does 
not  seem  especially  expensive  for  housekeepers.  Two  or 
three  hundred  dollars  would  be  a  high  rent,  as  almost  every 
one  lives  in  the  flats  of  large  houses.  A  good  income  for  a 
lawyer  or  physician  would  be  $1,500  or  $2,000,  Teachers 
and  Professors  seldom  get  over  $1,000. 

THE   MUSEUMS. 

The  most  interesting  museums  to  me  were  the  Kraniolo- 
gical  collection  of  Professor  Retzius,  and  the  "  Collection  of 
Antiquities.'7  This  last  is  vastly  inferior  to  that  at  Copen 
hagen — still  very  interesting.  The  best  divisions  of  these 
remains  are  the  Danish — the  separating  them  according  to 
their  periods — thus  making  four  ages  :  (1)  the  Age  of  Bone, 
(2)  of  Stone,  (3)  of  Bronze,  (4)  of  Iron.  In  the  first,  the 
weapons  and  implements  being  the  rudest  possible,  of  the 
bones  of  animals  ;  in  the  second  a  little  higher,  though  pro 
bably  used  by  the  same  people,  of  flint-stones,  or  stones 
sharpened  by  rubbing.  The  arrow  and  spear-heads  in  this 
Age,  are  almost  precisely  the  same  with  the  flint  arrow 
heads  used  by  the  North  American  Indians.  In  the  third 


A    FINNISH    GENTLEMAN.  233 

of  Bronze,  gold  appears  also  in  beautiful  workmanship,  and 
in  connection  also  with  the  Age  of  Iron — sometimes  in  great 
abundance.  It  is  remarkable,  that  the  bronze  swords — pro 
bably  belonging  to  the  Keltic  race — and  those  of  iron,  the 
weapons  of  the  Teuton,  all  have  smaller  handles  and  are  of 
lighter  weight  than  similar  weapons  now.  These  and  other 
indications  have  led  antiquaries  to  believe  that  some  of  the 
former  races  inhabiting  Sweden  were  of  inferior  physical 
power  to  the  present.  Of  the  ethnological  conclusions  to  be 
derived  from  these  remains,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak 
hereafter. 

August  -  — . — I  met  to-day  a  young  gentleman  from 
Finland.  He  had  come  over  to  make  enquiries  of  Mr.  Sil- 
jestroni,  in  regard  to  the  improvements  he  had  brought 
back  from  America  in  the  School-system. 

He  said,  that  the  young  Russian  Emperor  was  beginning  to 
be  in  favor  of  Popular  Schools  ;  and  some  of  those  interested 
were  trying  now  to  find  what  had  been  done  elsewhere.  At 
present,  they  have  nothing  in  Finland  of  value  in  Institu 
tions  of  popular  education.  A  progress,  however,  was 
beginning.  It  is  well  known,  though  this  gentleman  did  not 
state  it,  that  it  is  the  policy  of  the  Russian  Government 
now  to  encourage  the  Finnish  national  spirit,  in  order  to 
counterbalance  any  attachment  towards  their  old  masters 
or  countrymen,  the  Swedes.  For  this  object,  the  revival  of 
the  old  Finnish  literature,  of  such  poems  as  the  Kalewala 
and  the  Kantelitar,  has  met  with  great  .favor  from  the 
Russian  authority.  The  great  Finnish  University,  as  is  well 
known,,  has  been  removed  from  Abo  to  Helsingfors,  where  it 


234  THE    NORSE    FOLK. 

can  be  more  directly  under  Russian  influence,  and  at  present 
no  Swedish  is  allowed  in  the  language  of  instruction.  This 
process  of  Russianizing  goes  very  skillfully  on,  year  by  year. 
The  nobles  are  enticed  by  honors  to  Russia  ;  the  offices  in 
Finland  are  filled  by  Russians,  and  the  peasants  made  to 
forget  as  much  as  possible  their  old  connection  with  Swe 
den.  From  all  accounts,  these  efforts  are  succeeding.  The 
peasantry  is  becoming  attached  to  the  government.  Russia 
has  never  kept,  of  course,  her  promises  in  regard  to  States 
Assemblies  with  local  powers  in  Finland  ;  but  she  is  now 
forced  by  the  spirit  of  the  age,  to  do  something  for  popular 
education. 

This  gentleman,  like  all  the  Fiulauders  I  have  met,  was 
very  guarded  ;  yet  you  could  not  help  remarking  a  certain 
depressed  or  sad  expression,  both  in  his  appearance  and  in 
the  few  words  he  said  of  political  matters. 

My  friends  say  this  depressed  feeling  is  generally  true  of 
the  Finlanders.  You  instinctively  know  it  is  the  shadow  of 
despotism. 

I  asked  this  gentleman  about  the  feelings  of  the  people 
during  the  late  war.  He  states  that  the  cruelties  and 
barbarities  of  the  English  upon  the  poor  fishermen  and 
lumbermen  on  the  coast,  quite  changed  the  first  favorable 
disposition  towards  the  allies,  and  very  much  exasperated 
the  peasantry. 

He  had  known  the  lieutenant  who  was  engaged  in  the 
barbarous  affair,  at  Hango.  He  was  young,  he  says,  and 
was  supposed  to  have  acted  thus,  because  he  was  confused 
and  not  really  knowing  what  he  was  about.  Though  the 


THE    WAK.  235 

Government  did  not  punish  him,  he  lost  caste  every  where, 
and  was  disgraced. 

I  found  he  had  the  usual  impression,  derived  from  the  tone 
of  a  few  of  our  papers,  that  we  sympathized  in  America  with 
the  Russians.  I  was  glad  to  correct  and  explain  it. 

Many  of  the  Swedes  think  the  king  made  a  great  mistake, 
in  not  at  once  throwing  the  fortunes  of  the  country,  into  the 
late  war,  with  the  Allies.  They  believe  Finland,  in  the  begin 
ning  might  have  been  easily  re-won,  the  old  disgrace  of 
Sweaborg  wiped  out,  and  a  flank-march  directed  on  St. 
Petersburg,  which  would  have  effectually  weakened  and 
humbled  Russia  for  years  to  come. 

At  first,  the  peasantry  were  entirely  favorable  ;  the  Rus 
sian  force  in  the  country  was  a  mere  trifle  (much  less  than  was 
known  by  the  allies),  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  fleets, 
and  an  allied  reinforcement,  they  might  have  carried  every 
thing  before  them,  and  removed  the  great  thorn  in  their 
side — the  Russian  Finland.  Others,  on  the  contrary,  and  I 
think  more  wisely,  believe  such  an  attack  would  have  in 
volved  Sweden  in  a  long  war,  which  she  could  not  afford  ; 
that  even  if  she  had  re-conquered  Finland,  it  would  always, 
henceforth,  have  been  a  bone  of  contention  between  the  two 
powers,  and  that  the  great  hope  for  Sweden  is  in  the  devel 
opment  of  her  industrial  and  agricultural  powers,  and  not 
in  conquest.  Generally  in  Sweden,  there  is  a  great  con 
tempt  for  Russia.  A  common  phrase  one  hears,  is  that  "one 
Swede  is  equal  to  three  Russians  at  any  time  ;"  and  except 
for  the  great  commercial  profits  of  peace,  nothing  would 


236  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

have  been  so  popular  as  a  decided  part  taken  in  the  late 
war,  by  the  government. 

All  feel  that  the  great  danger  eventually  to  the  country, 
will  be  from  the  over-grasping  power  of  the  Northern 
Empire. 


CHAPTER   XXL 

A     SUNDAY     IN     STOCKHOLM. 

THE  Sunday  seems  more  quietly  spent  than  in  Germany. 
The  churches  are  well  attended.  I  have  been  to-day  to  the 
Lutheran  "  High  Mass."  The  forms  are  somewhat  compli 
cated.  The  officiating  clergyman  first,  with  his  face  to  the 
people,  repeats  the  "  Holy  !  Holy  !  art  Thou,"  etc. — then 
kneels  and  utters  a  prayer.  The  congregation  do  not  kneel 
nor  respond.  He  then  rises,  singing  the  "  God  have  mercy 
upon  us  I"  and  the  congregation  respond.  The  Prayer  book, 
or  "  Hand  book,"  requires  responses  when  prayers  are  sung, 
but  not  when  read.  After  this,  he  turns  to  the  altar  and 
sings  the  "  Gloria  in  excelsis !"  this  is  followed  by  a  long 
hymn*  from  the  worshippers,  from  ten  to  twenty  verses. 
The  clergyman  then  turns  to  the  congregation  and  says  the 
"  Lord  be  with  you  !"  they  responding  ;  next,  facing  the 
altar,  he  reads  the  extract  for  the  day  (he  sings  it  on  feast- 
days.)  Here  he  makes  another  prayer,  which  is  succeeded  by 
the  reading  of  the  Epistle,  and  the  reading  or  singing  of  the 

*  The  composers  of  these  hymns,  so  much  beloved  in  Sweden,  are 
Spegel,  Swedberg,  and  Arrhenius,  of  more  ancient  times ;  and  Wallin, 
Franzen,  Geyer,  Hedborn  and  others  of  modern. 

287 


238  THE    NOKSE- FOLK. 

Creed.  During  the  first  part  he  faces  the  audience,  during 
the  latter,  the  altar.  At  the  name  of  Jesus,  all  bow  the 
head.  Another  hymn  is  sung,  and  the  sermon  follows, 
which  was  short.  After  this,  prayer  again,  and,  on  feast- 
days,  they  tell  me,  the  Litany  ;  and  then  the  royal  procla 
mations,  notices  of  marriage  and  of  death,  and  the  like.  The 
last  exercise  is  a  prayer  by  the  second  clergyman  at  the 
altar,  and  then,  after  a  few  words,  the  beautiful  blessing  of 
Moses.  The  principal  priest  is  dressed  in  a  white  "mass- 
shirt,"  trimmed  with  lace,  over  which  is  a  rich  red  velvet 
Cope,  with  a  gold  cross  embroidered  on  it. 

The  communion  service  is  characteristic.  At  the  altar, 
the  following  prayer  is  made  : — "  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  in 
thy  holy  communion  dost  give  us  bread  and  wine,  thy  dear 
body  and  blood,  grant  unto  those  who  intend  to  have  part 
in  it,  thy  holy  Spirit,  that  they  may  worthily  receive  it,  to 
strengthen  their  assurance  of  forgiveness  of  sins. 

"  Grant  grace,  that  they,  with  right-minded  hearts  may 
be  reminded  of  thy  bitter  suffering  and  death,  that  they 
renew  the  promise  which  they  have  made  in  baptism,  and 
with  faithful  determination  to  hereafter  live,  with  thy  help, 
in  true  faith,  godliness,  love,  firm  hope  and  Christian  patience, 
and  thus  not  to  violate  the  vows  made  before  thy  holy  face 
at  the  shrift,  (skrift)  that  they  with  all  the  believers  may 
be  partakers  of  the  great  supper  in  Heaven.  Amen." 

The  priest  puts  the  bread  or  wafer  into  the  mouth  of 
each  communicant  kneeling  at  the  altar,  saying  to  each, 
"Jesus  Christ,  whose  body  thou  receivest,  preserve  thee 
unto  everlasting  life  !  Amen." 


CHURCH-FORMS.  239 

The  last  prayer  is,  "  We  thank  thee,  Father  Almighty, 
who  through  thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  hast  instituted  this 
holy  Supper  for  our  peace  and  salvation,  and  we  pray  Thee 
grant  us  grace  so  to  celebrate  the  remembrance  of  Jesus 
on  earth,  that  we  also  may  have  share  in  the  great  Supper 
in  Heaven.  Amen." 

A  custom  still  prevails  in  the  Swedish  Church,  of  restoring 
a  criminal,  or  backslider,  after  public  penance.  The  sub 
ject,  usually  some  man  or  woman  from  the  prison,  with 
worn,  depressed  expression,  stands  on  a  bench  near  the 
door,  a  guard  by  his  side,  and  before  the  great  congrega 
tion  is  addressed  by  a  stout  comfortable-looking  man  in 
full  canonicals,  who  has  had  from  his  cradle,  perhaps,  the 
whole  current  of  life  on  his  side  and  so  has  never  openly 
sinned,  on  the  enormity  of  his  guilt,  and  after  a  brief  con 
fession  to  his  fellow-mortal,  receives  his  blessing  and  is 
restored ;  or,  if  he  refuses  to  confess,  he  is  sent  back  to  a 
more  severe  punishment. 

The  Commandments  have  what  we  are  wont  to  consider  a 
Romauistic  arrangement.  The  First  is,  "  Thou  shalt  have  no 
other  gods  before  me,"  with  no  allusion  to  the  graven  images. 
The  Second  is  on  Profanity.  The  Third,  simply,  "Remem 
ber  to  keep  the  rest-day  holy  !"  with  no  reasons,  except 
those  given  in  the  Catechism  : — "  We  should  fear  and  love 
God,  so  that  we  do  not  despise  preaching  and  God's  Word, 
but  consider  it  holy,  hear  it  gladly,  and  learn."  Which  cer 
tainly,  if  the  Festival  of  the  Resurrection  be  borne  in  mind, 


240  THENORSE-FOLK. 

seems  a  much  more  Christian  basis  for  the  observance  of 
the  day.  The  Fourth  is  on  the  "Love  of  Parent .:  The 
Tenth  is  divided  into  two,  the  Ninth  and  Tenth,  as  if  dis 
tinguishing  the  two  kinds  of  coveting. 

There  still  survive  on  the  Swedish  Church  Book,  the 
rules  for  Secret  Confession  to  the  Pastor.  It  is  still  re 
sorted  to  for  the  worst  class  of  sins  ;  and  the  clergyman 
is  forbidden  under  the  strongest  penalties  to  disclose  what 
is  confessed.  Only  in  cases  of  treason,  or  where  assassi 
nation  or  murder  is  threatened,  can  the  clergyman  warn 
the  objects,  yet  still  without  disclosing  the  names  of  the 
guilty  parties.  In  former  times,  the  pastor  has  been  known 
to  forbid  the  Sacrament  after  such  confessions. 


RELIGIOUS    SOCIETIES. 

The  Tract  and  Bible  Society  of  Sweden  appear  both 
to  be  active.  In  1852,  the  Foreign  and  the  Native  Bible 
Societies  report  as  already  distributed  by  them,  more  than 
a  million  copies  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

The  Tract  Society  (founded  in  1809),  have  scattered  in 
thirty  years  nearly  three  millions  of  tracts.  The  "  Swedish 
Mission  Society"  was  establish  in  1835,  especially  for  Christ 
ianizing  the  Lapps,  among  whom  they  have  opened  schools 
and  churches.  Their  annual  income  is  about  thirty-seven 
thousand  dollars.  Many  other  societies  have  also  been 
formed  in  the  last  few  years — for  Orphan  Asylums,  for 


STATISTICS.  24:1 

Sunday  Schools,  Charity  Schools,  and  the  like.     There  is 
one  Association  of  Deaconesses  at  Stockholm. 

The  "  Inner  Mission,"  which  has  done  so  much  in  Ger 
many,  has  met  with  no  success  here.  Among  the  religious 
papers,  are  the  "  Mission  Journal  of  Lund,"  with  six  thou 
sand  subscribers  ;  the  " Bible  Friend"  (Bibelvannen),  with 
nine  thousand  ;  and  the  "People's  School"  (Folk-skolan), 
with  two  thousand. 

STATISTICAL    FACTS    OF    STOCKHOLM. 

BIRTHS   AND   DEATHS. 

In  1849,  births  to  population,  as 1  to  29 

"       deaths,  "         " 1  to  25 

Sweden      "       births,  "         "        1  to  30 

"  <;       deaths,  "         "        1  to  50 

DEATHS    EXCEEDING   BIRTHS    IN    STOCKHOLM. 

Tear  1849 by  377 

"  1839 "  738 

"  1829 "1941 

"  1819 "1146 

SUICIDES. 

In  1847 227 

'1848 244 

"  1849 225 

ILLEGITIMATE    BIRTHS. 

1848.  1849. 

Stockholm, 1  to     2.20    ..    1  to  2.27 

Other  towns, 1  to     5.07  ..  1    to  4.95 

Provinces, 1  to  15.31  ..  1  to  13.08 

Kingdom, 1  to  11.74  . .  1  to  10.96 

11 


242  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

ILLEGITIMATE  BIRTHS.  —  Continued. 


In  Sweden,  from  1780-85.              1800-05.              1820-25. 

1840-48. 

1  to  29.5                       1  to  17.1        1  to  14.3 

1  to   11.9 

In  France,  1820.                   1840.        In  Denmark,  1811-15. 

1835-89. 

1   to   14                   1  to  13.3                1   to  93 

1  to  87 

Prisoners  in  Stockholm  in  1850,  _____  ...    3,394  or  1  to  28 
Sweden,  "      .............    -.    1  to  261 

In  New  York  State,  ....................  ...     1  to    1608 

"  Massachusetts,  ...........................  1  to     2232 

"  New  Hampshire  .........................    1  to     4376 


POPULATION  OF  STOCKHOLM  —  (RUDBECK-'S  SvCd 

Year  1760,    ............................  .......   69,108 

"  1780,  ...................................  75,107 

"  1790,  ...........................  r  .....   68,986 

"  1800,  ..........................    ........  75,517 

"  1810,..  .................................  65,474 

"  1815,  ...................................  72,652 

"  1823,  ....................................  73,210 

"  1845,  ..................................  88,242 

"  1850,  ...................................   91,544 

"  1855,  ____  ...............................    95,950 

From  these  statistics,*  some  interesting  conclusions  may 
be  drawn.  In  the  capital,  it  appears,  that  various  causes 
consume  life  faster  than  it  is  produced,  so  that  if  left  without 
immigration  from  the  country,  Stockholm,  before  many  years, 
would  be  depopulated.  The  ratio  of  suicides  is  immense  ;  in 
1849,  one  out  of  every  four  hundred  persons,  or  probably 
one  out  of  every  two  hundred  adult  men  and  women. 

*  Mostly  collected  by  Hon.  Mr.  Schroeder. 


MORALE.  243 

Out  of  every  hundred  children  born  into  the  world  in  the 
city,  nearly  fifty  Are  illegitimate.  In  the  whole  kingdom, 
one  out  of  nearly  eleven.  The  consumption  of  human  life 
in  the  Swedish  capital,  and  the  prevalence  of  vice,  are  facts 
not  to  be  dissociated.  The  whole  kingdom  appears  to  have 
been  steadily  retrograding  since  1780,  in  this  regard  ;  in 
1840  there  being  fifty  per  cent,  more  illegitimate  births  to 
legitimate  than  in  the  above  year,  and  a  worse  ratio  than 
in  France.  However,  there  are  extenuating  circumstances 
in  regard  to  Stockholm,  which  do  not  appear  in  figures,  and 
it  is  very  possible  that  Stockholm  is  not  materially  worse 
than  New  York,  or  Paris. 

There  are  scarcely  any  houses  of  ill-fame,  it  should  be  re 
membered,  in  the  city.  There  is  not  such  a  desperate,  aban 
doned,  God-forsaken  class  of  women  as  in  our  large  cities. 
The  grisettes  of  Stockholm  preserve  some  decency  and  have 
a  chance  at  least  of  a  better  life.  They  are  occupied  as  seam 
stresses,  or  servants,  or  shop-women,  and  frequently  after 
many  years  of  unlawful  companionship,  are  married.  The 
cause  of  these  numerous  liaisons  is  probably  here  as  with  us, 
the  difficulty  of  woman's  earning  an  honorable  support.  The 
laws,  too,  of  former  times,  which  forbade  the  clergy  from  in 
vestigating  the  illegitimate  births,  must  have  furnished  an 
additional  safeguard  to  the  guilty  parties.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind  also,  that  the  parents  of  an  illegitimate  child 
in  Sweden,  are  frequently  married,  subsequently  to  the  entry 
of  the  name  on  the  Church  books,  so  that  an  exact  judgment 
of  the  present  state  of  morals  of  the  people  cannot  be  formed 
from  these  certainly  rather  alarming  statistics. 


244:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

It  is  significant,  in  this  connection,  that  the  Swedish 
Prayer-book,  alone,  perhaps,  of  all  the  Church-books  of  the 
world,  has  a  prayer  for  "  Mothers,  who  have  been  deceived 
by  promise  of  marriage  ;"  *  and  the  Swedish  law  recognizes 
that  the  promise,  if  it  can  be  proved  by  reliable  witnesses, 
secures,  even  before  the  marriage,  to  the  children  the  right 
of  legitimate  children,  and  to  the  woman  all  the  rights  of  a 
wife. 

*  Prof.  A.  C.  Knos— Swedische  Kirchen  Verfassung,  p.  145. 


CHAPTER      XXII. 

DALECARLIA UPSALA. 

EVER  since  reading,  as  a  boy,  of  the  faithful  peasants  of 
Dalecarlia,  who  sheltered  and  fought  for  the  brave  Gustavus 
Vasa,  I  have  had  an  interest  in  the  people.  I  fancied 
beside,  in  Stockholm,  that  the  Dalecarlian  boat-women, 
with  their  honest  nut-brown  faces  and  stalwart  arms,  were 
the  best  specimens  of  peasantry  I  had  seen,  and  I  resolved 
to  visit  their  Province — the  kernel  of  Sweden.  But  it  is  a 
difficult  matter  to  travel  comfortably  here.  At  length, 
after  some  trouble,  having  provided  myself  with  a  travelling 
companion  and  a  carriage  in  Stockholm,  I  started  by  steamer 
for  Upsala. 

The  views  on  the  trip  are  not  interesting  with  the  exception 
of  a  glimpse  gained  of  one  object — the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
SIGTUNA,  the  oldest  town  in  Scandinavia,  and  one  of  the  cen 
tres  of  the  worship  of  Odin. 

UPSALA  itself  is  in  a  wide  plain,  and  would  be  a  common 
place  town,  but  for  the  old  Cathedral — which  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  structures  in  the  country,  of  pure  Gothic, 
and  dating  to  the  thirteenth  century — and  its  ancient  Uni 
versity.  This  was  founded  in  1477,  by  Sten  Sture  the  elder; 

245 


246  THEISTORSE-FOLK. 

it  received  its  greatest  endowments  from  Gustavus  Adolphus, 
and  has  continued  to  be  the  leading  university  of  Sweden. 
It  numbers  many  great  names  among  its  professors — Lin 
naeus,  Geijer,  Bergmann,  Svanneberg,  Wallin,  and  others. 

In  passing  through  the  streets,  I  noticed  an  ample,  well- 
built  house,  evidently  for  public  objects.  "  For  the  Stock 
holm  Nation"  my  friend  said.  Each  province  is  called  a 
Nation,  and  has  its  own  quarter  and  house.  The  students 
of  the  Nation  have  many  things  in  common,  and  usually  a 
place  of  amusement,  with  library  and  reading-room,  like  this 
building.  The  same  division  is  used  in  classifying  the  stu 
dents. 

There  are  14  Nations  in  the  University.  The  number  of 
students  is  1,350  ;  professors,  26 — four  each  in  Philosophy, 
Law,  Medicine,  and  Theology.  Adjuncts,  18,  and  docents, 
29  ;  beside-a  number  engaged  in  the  library,  and  in  teach 
ing  modern  languages.  Annual  revenues  from  property, 
about  $30,000.  Of  the  rare  literary  treasures  of  this  uni 
versity,  especially  of  the  famed  Codex  Argenteus,  the  envy 
of  scholars,  it  is  not  necessary  I  should  speak.  Guide-books 
and  hand-books  give  full  information. 


THE    SCHOOLS 

are,  the  Cathedral  School,  with  300  pupils  ;  the  Lyceum 
and  Real  Gymnasium,  with  50  pupils  each  ;  the  People's 
Schools — as  the  Duke  of  Uppland's,  with  300  scholars,  the 
Princess  Eugenia's,  for  infants,  with  90  ;  the  "  School  of 
Exercise,"  and  a  School  for  Vagrants. 


SWEDISH    ALIENS.  247 

There  is  also  a  good  Poor-House,  and  bat  little  beggary 
is  seen  in  the  streets. 

A  telegraph  connects  Upsala  and  Stockholm.  The  popu 
lation  of  the  city  is  7,288. 

I  had  the  pleasure  here  of  making  the  acquaintance  of  an 

accomplished  jurist,  well  known  in  America,  Prof.  B 

with  whom  I  spent  a  whole  day  talking  over  the  Swedish 
Constitution. 

This  university  sends  two  members  to  the  Parliament, 
who  take  their  seats  with  the  "  House  of  Clergy."  Yet  not 
one  of  these  gentlemen,  professors  or  teachers,  can  be 
elected  by  their  fellow-citizens  to  Parliament,  or  vote  for 
any  candidate  out  of  the  university.  Nor  have  they  the 
slightest  share  in  the  city  elections  in  Upsala,  where  they 
have  spent  all  their  lives,  and  where  their  interests  are. 
They  are  not  strictly  members  of  either  of  the  "Four 
Classes" — Peasants,  Citizens,  Clergy,  or  Nobles.  By  one 
of  the  innumerable  anomalies  of  Sweden,  they  can  be  voted 
for  to  a  town-office,  though  they  cannot  vote.  The  profes 
sors  are  appointed  for  life.  Prof.  B.  says,  "  Even  the  King 
himself  cannot  unseat  me."  "  But  if  an  incompetent  person 
holds  a  chair,  how  do  you  get  rid  of  him  ?" 

''It  is  very  difficult.  He  must  be  tried,  and  proved  to 
have  committed  something  worthy  of  punishment,  and  then 
he  can  be  unseated." 

The  legal  Professors  act  the  part  also  of  "  consulting  law 
yers,"  gratuitously.  Sweden  is  yet  in  that  state  of  pri 
meval  innocence,  that  it  is  destitute  of  lawyers.  When 
I  first  fairly  understood  this,  I  could  scarcely  believe  it. 


248  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

"  What  do  your  people  do,"  I  asked,  "  when  they  fall  into 
a  difficult  law-dispute  ?" 

"  They  go  to  the.  Judges"  said  Prof.  B.,  "  and  get  their 
opinion,  or  they  come  to  us,  and  we  are  expected  to  advise." 

"  But  it  would  take  up  all  the  time  of  the  Judges,  I 
should  think,  and  besides,  sometimes  the  thing  must  need  a 
long  investigation." 

"No,"  said  the  Professor;  "you  see  those  two  octavo 
volumes  there.  They  are  our  law.  Your  lawyers  must 
consult  between  six  and  seven  hundred  such  volumes.  The 
fact  is,  we  have  no  "  common  law" — only  statute  law — and 
a  peasant,  if  he  has  a  case,  can  work  it  out  from  these  books 
and  plead  it  himself.  Sometimes  an  ignorant  man  will  get 
the  sheriff  to  state  his  case,  and  there  are  a  few  cunning 
men  who  are  employed  by  the  peasants  to  plead  for  them, 
but  they  have  no  professional  character.  In  Stockholm 
now,  there  begins  to  be  a  class  of  government  officials,  who 
are  more  like  your  lawyers,  still  they  have  nominally  other 
business." 

I  was  often  afterwards  struck  with  this  peculiarity  of  the 
Swedish  polity — people  pleading  their  own  cases,  or  stating 
them  to  the  judge,  and  leaving  them  to  his  decision,  with 
out  argument.  It  is  still  inexplicable  to  me,  especially 
where  anything  like  complicated  commercial  law  is  con 
cerned. 

One  hears  now  through  Sweden  many  complaints  against 
Upsala  and  her  conservatism  ;  many  wish  the  university 
transplanted  to  Stockholm,  so  as  to  give  it  a  more  cosmo- 


THE    OLD    UPSALA.  249 

politan  character.     Most  unwisely,  it  seems  to  me.    A  large 
city  absorbs  an  intellectual  institution. 


11  GAMLE    UPSALA/7 

About  two  miles  from  Upsala  is  Gamle  Upsala  (Old  Up- 
sala),  which  is  now  merely  an  old  Church,  and  a  few  cot 
tages.  The  central  part  of  this  church,  at  this  time  under 
process  of  enlargement,  is  called  the  oldest  architectural 
ruin  in  Sweden.  It  is  built  of  rough  stone,  and  has  no  espe 
cial  architectural  character,  except  the  round  arch. 

It  was  undoubtedly  the  great  National  Temple  of  Odin, 
and  is  described  even  in  the  eleventh  century,  as  a  building 
of  great  magnificence.*  Near  it  are  numerous  instances  of 
the  tumuli,  found  so  plentifully  over  Scandinavia.  One 
author  says,  there  are  six  hundred  and  sixty-nine  here. 

Laiug  supposes, — it  seems  to  me  correctly — that  these 

*  Olaus  Magnus  says  of  the  Temple,  that  it  was  built  so  magnifi 
cently,  that  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  on  the  walls,  roof,  or  pil 
lars,  but  .shincd  with  gold ;  also,  the  whole  upper  part  was  made  with 
glittering  gold,  from  which  a  golden  chain  hung  down,  and  is  re 
corded  to  have  gone  round  about  the  Temple  to  the  walls  and  tops  of 
the  house.  Hence  it  was,  that  the  Temple,  situate  on  a  large  plain,  by 
the  admirable  lustre  of  it,  begat  in  those  that  came  near  to  it,  a  ven- 
eraMe  fire  of  religion.  There  grew  before  the  doors  of  it  a  huge  tree, 
of  an  unknown  kind,  that  spread  with  large  boughs,  and  was  green 
both  in  Summer  and  Winter.  *  *  *  * 

Let  this  suffice  for  other  nations  to  understand  some  of  the  vain 
customs  of  the  Goths. — (History  of  Goths  and  Swedes,  translated  in 
1658 — London.) 

11* 


250  THENORSE-FOLK. 

were  natural  formations,  but  used  as  burial-places,  and  as 
places  for  addressing  the  people.  One  of  them,  a  lofty 
mound,  is  still  called  the  Ting's  mound,  or  place  where 
the  great  National  Assembly  of  the  Bonders  was  held  in 
early  times.  It  has  been  excavated,  and  the  entrance  to  the 
interior  is  carefully  guarded  by  a  gate — my  companion  said 
that  many  small  ornaments  of  value  had  been  found  here  for 
the  museums. 

The  "  Ting"  was  a  purely  Democratic  Assembly,  like 
the  Norwegian  Ting,  composed  of  all  the  free-holders : 
was  the  governing  power  of  Sweden  in  the  days  of 
the  Vikings.  It  made  kings  and  unmade  them  ;  voted 
supplies,  passed  laws,  called  out  levies,  and,  though  some 
times  overawed  by  the  kings,  was  on  the  whole,  a  most 
powerful  and  independent  Assembly.  The  Bonders  had 
certain  men  among  them,  who,  from  their  talents  or  charac 
ter,  came  to  lead  and  represent  them  at  these  Tings,  called 
Lagmdn — the  Swedish  Tribunes. 

There  is  a  very  characteristic  scene  given  in  the  Saga  of 
"  Olof  the  Saint,"  (Laing's  translation)  of  a  national  Ting, 
held  at  this  very  place,  in  the  spring  of  1018.  The  ques 
tion  before  the  Assembly  was,  whether  King  Olof,  of 
Sweden,  should  give  his  daughter  to  King  Olof  of  Norway, 
in  order  to  put  a  stop  to  the  war  waging  between  the  two 
countries.  A  certain  Earl  present  had,  in  a  set  speech, 
strongly  urged  the  king  to  this  measure — but  the  king  had 
as  strongly  refused,  in  a  speech  very  bitter,  both  against  the 
Earl  and  the  King  of  Norway.  A  lagmau  (named  Thorgny), 
who  is  represented  as  having  a  white  beard  reaching 


A    SCENE    OF    OLDEN    TIME.  251 

to  his  knees,  when  he  sat,  prepared  himself  to  reply,  or  in 
the  words  of  the  Saga — 

"  Then  Thorgny  stood  up ;  and  when  he  arose,  all  the  Bonders 
stood  up  who  had  before  been  sitting,  and  rushed  together  from  all 
parts  to  listen  to  what  language  Thorgny  would  say.  At  first,  there 
was  a  great  din  of  people  and  weapons;  but  when  the  noise  was 
settled  into  silent  listening,  Thorgny  made  his  speech.  'The  dis 
position  of  Swedish  kin<rs  is  different  now  from  what  it  has  been 
formerly.  My  grandfather,  Thorgny,  could  well  remember  the 
Upsal  king,  Eric  Emundson,  and  used  to  say  of  him,  that  when  he 
was  in  his  best  years  he  went  out  every  summer  on  expeditions  to 
different  countries,  and  conquered  for  himself  Finland,  Liflland, 
Curland,  Esthland,  and  the  eastern  countries  all  around;  and  at 
the  present  day,  the  earth  bulwarks,  ramparts,  and  other  great 
works  which  he  had  made  are  to  be  seen.  And,  moreover,  he  was 
not  so  proud  that  he  would  not  listen  to  people  who  had  anything 
to  say  to  him.  My  father,  again,  was  a  long  time  with  King  Bjorn, 
and  was  well  acquainted  with  his  ways  and  manners.  In  Bjorn's 
lifetime,  his  kingdom  stood  in  great  power,  and  no  kind  of  want 
was  felt,  and  he  was  gay  and  sociable,  with  his  friends.  I  also 
remember  King  Eric,  the  victorious,  and  was  with  him  on  many  a 
\var  expedition.  He  enlarged  the  Swedish  dominion,  and  defended 
it  manfully ;  and  it  was  also  agreeable  to  communicate  our 
opinions  to  him.  But  the  King  we  have  now  got  allows  no  man  to 
presume  to  talk  with  him,  unless  it  be  what  he  desires  to  hear.  On  this 
alone  he  applies  all  his  power,  while  he  allows  his  scattlands  in  other 
countries  to  go  from  him  through  laziness  and  weakness.  He  wants 
to  have  the  Norway  kingdom  laid  under  him,  which  no  Swedish  king 
before  him  ever  desired,  and  therewith  brings  war  and  distress  on 
many  a  man.  Now  it  is  our  will,  we  Bonders,  that  thou,  king  Olaf, 
make  peace  with  the  Norway  king,  Olaf  the  Thick,  and  marry  thy 
daughter  Ingegerd  to  him.  Wilt  thou,  however,  reconquer  the  king- 


252  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

doms  in  the  east  countries  which  thy  relations  and  forefathers  had 
there,  we  will  all  for  that  purpose  follow  thee  to  the  war.  But  if 
thou  wilt  not  do  as  we  desire,  we  will  now  attack  thee,  a.nd  put  thee 
to  death;  for  we  will  no  longer  suffer  law  and  peace  to  be  disturbed. 
So  our  forefathers  went  to  work  when  they  drowned  five  kings  in 
a  well  at  the  Mula-Ting,  and  they  were  filled  with  the  same 
insupportable  pride  thou  hast  shown  towards  us.  Now  tell  us,  in 
all  haste,  what  resolution  thou  wilt  take.'  Then  the  whole  public 
approved,  with  clash  of  arms  and  shouts,  the  Lagman's  speech." — 
Heimskringla,  vol.  ii.  p.  93. 

The  King,  of  course,  yielded.  It  is  such  a  spirit  among 
the  old  Norse  Folk  which  has  finally  given  birth  to  Magna 
Charta  and  the  American  Republic. 

Old  Upsala  was,  without  doubt,  the  centre  of  the  reli 
gious  worship  and  the  capital  of  the  monarchy  of  the  an 
cient  Swedes,  as  distinguished  from  the  Goths  in  middle 
Sweden.  The  conversion  of  this  part  of  Sweden  to  Christian 
ity  was  characteristic,  and  perhaps  has  not  been  without  its 
influence  on  the  later  aspect  of  its  religion. 

Hear  the  Heimskriugla. 

CONVERSION   OF   UPLAND   KINGS. 

"When  King  Olof  had  dispatched  Bjorn  and  his  followers  to 
Gothland,  he  sent  other  people  also  to  the  Uplands,  with  the  errand 
that  they  should  have  guest-quarters  prepared  for  him,  as  he  intended 
that  winter  to  live  as  guest  in  the  Uplands;  for  it  had  been  the 
custom  of  former  kings  to  make  a  progress  in  guest-quarters  every 
third  year  in  the  Uplands.  In  autumn,  he  began  his  progress  from 
Sparsborg,  and  went  first  to  Vingulmark.  He  ordered  his  progress 
so  that  he  came  first  to  lodge  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  forest 


POSTING.  253 

habitations,  and  summoned  to  him  all  the  men  of  the  habitations 
who  dwelt  at  the  greatest  distance  from  the  head-habitations  of 
the  district;  and  he  inquired  particularly  how  it  stood  with  their 
Christianity,  and  where  improvement  was  needful,  he  taught  them 
the  right  customs.  If  any  there  were  who  would  not  renounce 
heathen  ways,  ho  took  the  matter  so  zealously  that  he  drove  some 
out  of  the  country,  mutilated  others  of  hands  or  feet,  or  stung  their 
eyes  out,  hung  up  some,  cut  down  some  with  the  sword ;  but  let 
some  go  unpunished  who  would  not  serve  God.  He  went  thus 
through  the  whole  district,  sparing  neither  great  nor  small.  He  gave 
them  teachers,  and  placed  these  as  thickly  in  the  country  as  he  saw 
needful.  In  this  manner,  he  went  about  in  that  district,  and  had 
three  hundred  deadly  men  at-arms  with  him,  and  then  proceeded 
to  Baumarige.  He  soon  perceived  that  Christianity  was  thriving  less 
the  farther  he  proceeded  into  the  interior  of  the  country.  He  sent 
forward  everywhere  in  the  same  way,  converting  all  the  people  to 
the  right  Faith,  and  severely  punishing  all  who  would  not  listen  to 
his  word." 


POSTING. 

From  Upsala  we  commenced  our  land-journey  towards 
Dalecarlia,  taking  Dannemora  on  the  way,  and  intending 
to  pass  over  a  little  of  Sb'dermanland. 

It  is  wonderful  how  long  the  Swedes  have  submitted 
to  the  inconveniences  of  travel  in  their  country.  To  travel 
in  a  province,  a  hundred  miles  from  their  capital,  or  even 
twenty  miles,  one  must  take  his  own  carriage,  convey  it 
to  and  fro  by  boat,  hire  at  every  station  his  two  horses, 
for  ever  annoyed  with  waiting  for  horses  or  hurrying  them, 
with  paying  wait-money  if  he  is  behind  the  time  he  has  set 


254:  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

by  post,  with  feeing  hdllkarlar  (ostlers)  and  post-boys,  never 
accomplishing  more  than  seven  miles  an  hour,  and  paying 
about  the  price  of  our  American  stage-coaches,  or  double 
that  of  the  railroads — five  and  six  cents  a  mile, — this,  where, 
in  some  seasons,  the  travel  is  incessant  over  the  roads. 

Yet  it  has  also  its  pleasures.  This  traversing  a  country 
in  your  own  comfortable  carriage,  giving  you  time  for 
visiting  and  talking  with  people,  and  the  excitement  of 
accomplishing  the  stage  in  full  time,  are  not  disagreeable 
experiences  to  a  traveller.  On  one  of  our  first  stages,  1  had 
an  experience  of  a  different  people  from  the  Norwegian 
we  had  just  left — the  little  rogue  of  a  post-boy  cribbaging 
some  small  articles  which  we  could  not  well  spare. 


DANNEMORA. 

These  iron  mines  are  well  known  to  the  whole  world. 
The  sight  was  one  of  the  grandest  I  ever  had,  as  the  crane 
swung  us  off  at  a  giddy  height  into  the  black  chasm  :  the 
little  insects  of  men  pecking  away  at  the  rock  far  below, 
the  mighty  columns  and  arches  disclosing  gloomy  vistas, 
as  in  some  subterranean  rock-temple,  and  the  grand  craggy 
walls  of  the  mine — a  mountain-side.  We  wandered  about 
a  little  in  the  chilly  vaults,  and  collected  some  specimens. 
There  are  over  three  hundred  workmen  employed  ;  each 
has  a  house,  a  plot  of  ground  and  certain  privileges,  as 
well  as  the  day's  wages  paid  by  the  job — about  twenty-five 
cents  a  day.  When  old  or  disabled,  he  and  his  family  are 
allowed  a  pension.  A  great  many  children  are  at  work 


IRON    MINE.  255 

above,  on  the  outside  of  the  mine — as  usual  with  the  miners' 
children,  a  sad,  miserable-looking  set.  The  whole  popula 
tion  connected  with  the  mine  is  about  thirteen  hundred. 
The  water  is  pumped  out  by  steam,  and  conveyed  a  con 
siderable  distance.  The  iron  owes  its  adaptability  to  the 
fabrication  of  steel,  to  the  quantity  of  magnesia  contained 
in  it,  and  its  excellent  quality,  to  the  small  quantity  of 
sulphur  and  phosphorus.  The  ore  yields  from  forty  to  fifty 
per  cent.  There  are  seventy-nine  different  mines,  some  but 
little  worked.  The  first  working  of  them,  say  the  books, 
dates  back  at  least  to  the  15th  century.  The  annual  ex 
pense  of  the  works  is  one  hundred  and  seventy-one  thousand 
rix  dollars.  The  produce  is  roughly  estimated  at  about  ten 
thousand  tons.  The  Superintendent  of  the  mine  is  a  govern 
ment  official,  though  paid  by  the  proprietors.  A  physician  and 
nine  other  officers  are  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  company. 

Beyond  the  mines  one  of  our  first  stations  was  Alfta. 
We  stopped  to  change  horses  and  called  for  tea.  The 
landlady  did  not  know  anything  about  the  article.  We 
took  out  our  own,  and,  to  the  great  admiration  of  the  chil 
dren,  began  the  preparation.  The  woman  then  remembered 
that  some  travellers,  had  once  left  a  little  there  ;  but  she 
had  never  used  it,  supposing  it  to  be  a  medicine. 

GEFLE. — This  is  a  thriving  town  with  considerable  com 
merce.  The  houses  are  white,  and  mostly  of  two  stories ;  and 
the  streets  paved  with  cobble  stones,  without  side-walks. 
A  railroad  is  soon  to  connect  this  with  Fahlun.  As  usual,  the 
hotel  was  wretched,  but  charges  are  very  moderate.  Seventy- 
five  cents  a  day  will  cover  the  expenses  in  most  country  hotels. 


256  THE    NOESE-FOLK. 

MO-MYSIE  is  the  best  station  in  all  the  North ;  with  large> 
neat  bedrooms,  and  good,  substantial  fare.  At  a  station 
near  this,  while  waiting  for  horses,  we  walked  over  to  the 
parsonage,  to  make  a  call  on  the  clergyman.  We  found  it 
the  best  house  and  farm  in  the  village — the  building  new, 
and  painted  white,  of  two  stories.  The  maid,  who  accident 
ally  found  us  in  the  hall — for  there  is  never  a  bell,  or 
knocker,  or  any  means  of  communication,  in  most  Swedish 
houses,  showed  us  up  into  a  large  attic,  and  there  left  us. 
It  was  occupied  by  a  miscellany  of  objects,  deer-skins,  spin 
ning-wheels,  books,  clothes  and  odd  chairs.  At  length  we 
spied  a  door,  which  might  conduct  us  to  the  parlor.  It  was 
opened  to  the  rap,  and  a  stout,  important-looking  gentleman 
looked  up  from  his  writing.  He  had  the  unfailing  pipe  in 
one  hand,  a  smoking-cap  on  his  head,  and  in  the  corner  near 
him  was  a  ckevaux  defrise  of  pipes.  When  we  had  stated 
our  objects,  he  welcomed  us,  and  then  begged  us  to  excuse 
him  a  moment,  while  he  attended  to  the  baptism  of  a  child, 
who  was  just  then  brought  by  a  peasant  for  the  purpose. 
This,  as  in  all  Lutheran  countries,  is  a  legal  requisition,  and 
for  which  the  clergyman  is  always  paid  a  fee. 

On  his  return,  we  had  a  long  conversation.  Education, 
he  thought  much  progressing  among  his  people.  The  parish 
numbered  6,000,  with  two  preachers  ;  there  were  six  "  cir 
culating  schools  "  and  one  established,  with  some  500  scho 
lars.  The  pay  of  a  common  teacher  was  about  21  cents  a 
day  ;  of  a  higher  teacher,  $100  per  annum.  The  great  dif 
ficulty  was  with  the  teachers — to  get  good  men  on  such  a 
miserable  pay.  After  discussing  the  merits  of  the  new 


A    PARSONAGE.  257 

Swedish  school-system,  we  were  about  to  go  to  the  inn,  when 
he  insisted  on  our  staying  for  dinner. 

We  were  shown  out  to  the  large  dance  saloon,  in  the 
middle  of  which,  the  little  round  table  with  its  pure  white 
Swedish  linen,  was  set.  Flowers  were  here,  as  everywhere, 
at  the  windows  and  on  the  tables.  The  walls  were  painted 
in  fresco,  by  a  village  artist.  The  dinner  was  simple  and 
good  ;  home-made  beer  was  served  to  each,  and  coffee  was 
brought  in  immediately  after  the  silent  thanks  at  the  end. 
Then  an  offering  of  cigars  and  pipes,  and  a  courteous  fare 
well,  as  our  post-carriage  comes  to  the  door. 

A . — We  had  a  letter  to  the  clergyman  of  this  vil 
lage,  and  drove  into  the  great  court-yard  of  the  parsonage. 
The  pastor  at  once,  on  reading  the  letter,  ordered  our  horses 
to  be  taken  out  and  detained  us  for  the  night,  to  which  we 
were  not  averse.  After  a  little  chat  over  the  cigars,  we  all 
set  forth  to  see  the  Church  and  the  village. 

This  last  has  some  very  comfortable  houses,  the  property 
of  rich  peasants.  The  church  is  only  a  little  distance  from 
the  parsonage.  Before  entering,  the  pastor  deposited  his 
cigar  on  a  tombstone,  and  reverentially  uncovering,  we  step, 
ped  within.  The  building  was  large,  of  the  simple  cross 
form,  but  with  no  columns  or  arches  to  interrupt  the  view  • 
the  usual  audience  is  about  two  thousand.  The  pastor  took 
us  to  the  sacristy  to  show  his  dresses — the  splendid  crimson 
cassocks  with  the  gold  cross,  the  common  white  and  black, 
and  others  with  various  embroidery  and  ornaments.  Pastor 
F.  states  that  his  parish  contains  four  thousand  four  hundred 


258  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

souls,  and  extends  some  eleven  Swedish  square  miles.  He 
has  frequently  to  ride  thirty-five  miles  to  preach,  and  he 
must  catechise  at  forty-five  different  places  through  the 
year,  sometimes  in  the  coldest  weather.  He  is  much  dis 
couraged  by  the  licentiousness  of  the  peasants — the  propor 
tion  of  illegitimate  children  being  very  large.  In  drinking 
habits,  he  sees  a  vast  improvement,  especially  since  the  new 
laws,  which  make  brandy  so  expensive. 

There  are,  in  the  parish,  five  circulating  schools  and  one 
established,  having  together  about  four  hundred  children 
in  attendance.  Here  again  is  the  complaint  of  poor  teach 
ers  and  poor  pay  ;  some  receiving  only  six  dollars  per 
annum,  with  board  !  Dissent,  he  informs  me,  is  beginning 
to  make  havoc  among  his  flock.  The  excitements  of  Ldsarne 
(a  kind  of  methodism)  have  already  produced  sad  results, 
physically.  It  was  a  commentary  on  his  remarks  that  we 
met,  in  our  short  walk,  three  persons,  crazy  from  the  over- 
tension  of  their  religious  feelings.  The  Baptists  and  Ldsarne 
have  not  dared,  as  yet,  he  says,  to  come  out  and  build 
chapels,  for  fear  of  legal  measures,  but  he  thinks  they  soon 
will.  The  parish,  he  informs  me,  is  a  royal  parish — that  is, 
the  King  appoints  the  clergyman,  though  usually  the  Con- 
sistorium  presents  three  candidates,  to  select  from.  The 
salary  is  a  certain  pro  rata  sum  fixed  by  the  parish-meeting 
(Socken  stamma)  and  collected  in  driblets  of  produce  or 
money  from  each  peasant ;  every  man  being  obliged  by  law 
to  give  a  certain  amount. 

This  village  is  in  Helsingeland,  and  the  peasants  have  a 
peculiar  character.     They  are  by  no  means  so  intelligent  as 


FURNITURE.  259 

the  Dalecarlians,  but  there  is  more  wealth  with  individuals, 
and  greater  extremes  of  condition.  We  visited  a  number  of 
peasants'  properties.  According  to  the  universal  Scandina 
vian  arrangement,  for  rich  or  poor,  there  is  a  little  square  of 
houses,  one  being  for  guests,  and  for  the  family,  and  another 
for  the  servants  and  for  store-room.  The  doorways  to  the 
principal  houses  were  highly  decorated,  and  had  almost  an 
Oriental  aspect.  Within,  each  room  was  perfectly  neat 
and  clean,  with  large  beds  and  good  plain  furniture.  The 
floors  were  sprinkled  with  twigs  of  pines.  In  some,  we  saw 
a  singular  article  of  furniture,  consisting  of  a  bedstead, 
painted  white  and  gilt,  with  a  secretary  for  the  foot-board, 
and  a  dock  for  head-board.  Others  had  large  bed-rooms, 
used  as  store-rooms  ;  some  were  quite  prettily  painted 
within.  The  most  notable  thing  was  the  neatness.  I  saw 
no  book  except  the  Bible  and  Psalm-book.  The  women 
who  showed  us  their  rooms  were  usually  healthy,  cheery 
looking  working  women,  dressed  somewhat  in  colored  cos 
tume.  The  pastor  says  that  generally  they  are  well  in 
structed,  but  that  there  are  some  superstitions  remaining 
among  them,  which  he  cannot  break  down.  When  they  are 
sick,  they  always  send  first  to  the  old  witches,  before  they 
apply  to  the  regular  physician.  A  Helsinglander,  who  buys 
a  horse,  is  careful  to  take  him  out  the  first  time  backwards 
from  the  stable,  to  avoid  the  evil  spirits — the  Tomt ! — and 
with  the  most,  the  mountains  and  desolate  places  are  still 
beset  with  the  legions  of  spirits  who  haunted  their  heathen 
forefathers. 

When  we  returned  to  the  house,  at  about  8  o'clock,  a 


260  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

good  supper  was  served  up  for  us,  and  we  sat  long,  talking 
of  America  and  Sweden  ;  for  this  family,  like  so  many  in 
Sweden,  has  its  members  in  the  New  World.  A  Swedish 
military  officer  was  present.  In  the  glow  of  the  conversa 
tion,  he  could  not  refrain  from  an  enthusiastic  outburst  for 
his  country,  such  as  I  have  often  heard  since — "  After  all, 
as  we  look  over  the  nations  of  the  world,  there  is  no  coun 
try  so  blessed  as  old  Sweden.  Here  every  one  can  speak  or 
write  as  he  pleases  ;  there  is  no  slavery  here,  and  we  have  a 
good  King.  Yes,  we  are  the  happy  people  1"  The  others 
smiled,  but  evidently  considered  him  quite  right. 

I  ventured  to  object,  partly  for  argument's  sake,  and 
asked  how  a  country  could  be  called  blessed  where  there 
were  such  multitudes  of  ignorant  people,  and  spoke  of  the 
licentiousness  and  drunkenness.  "  The  proportion  of  illegit 
imate  births  in  Stockholm  are  fifty  per  cent."  He  replied, 
that  as  to  the  ignorance  of  the  people,  he  would  not  com 
pare  them  with  the  American.  "  But  look  at  the  English 
peasantry  and  the  German  !  How  many  cannot  read  or 
write  !  Here  14  is  very  seldom  that  you  will  find  a  peasant 
who  cannot  read.  And  for  brandy-drinking,  it  was,  indeed, 
bad  some  years  since  ;  but  the  people  improve  every  day  in 
that.  And,  for  my  part,  I  do  not  believe  them  worse  than 
other  nations  in  the  matter  of  licentiousness.  You  cannot 
judge  from  Stockholm,  sir.  It  is  true  there  are  very  many 
illegitimate  children  there,  but  there  are  no  prostitutes.  We 
hear  of  fifty  thousand  women  in  London  who  are  damned 
for  this  world  utterly.  There  is  hardly  one  in  Sweden. 
Even  if  a  woman  has  an  unlawful  connection,  she  can  still 


NOBLE-MANUFACTURE  RS.  261 

raise  herself  up  again,  and  she  lives  at  least  in  a  human 
relation  with  her  companion." 

"  But  the  children  !     What  becomes  of  them  ?"  I  asked. 

"  The  State  takes  care  of  them,"  he  answered.  "  It  is 
bad,  I  know.  But  which  is  worse — that,  or  your  infernal 
prostitution  ?" 

Iron  Works. — On  our  ride,  the  next  day,  we  stopped  at  a 
wretched  village  adjoining  the  iron  works  of  D.,  which  we 
wished  to  visit.  Why  is  it  in  Europe  that  manufactures 
always  draw  after  them  such  a  trail  of  poverty  ?  This  was 
the  most  miserable,  ragged  population  I  had  seen.  We 
entered  the  "Works"  through  a  gentleman's  house,  and 
very  tasteful  grounds  laid  out  on  the  stream  that  gave 
the  water-power.  The  proprietors  were  two  young  bach 
elor  noblemen,  who  at  once  welcomed  us  to  brandy,  fruit, 
and  cigars.  We  declined  the  former,  and  sat  down  to  a 
little  chat  over  some  delicious  hot-house  fruit.  They  are 
manufacturing  bar-iron — employ  three  hundred  laborers — 
wages  usually  one  rix  dollar  (twenty-five  cents)  per  diem. 
T  inquired  how  it  was  that  they,  as  noblemen,  were  manu 
facturing. 

"It  is  very  common  now,  sir,  in  Sweden,"  Captain  D. 
answered.  "  We  younger  branches  must  do  that,  or  belong 
to  the  bureaucracy,  or  try  to  get  a  commission.  The  fact  is, 
sir,  we  are  the  most  unhappy  class  of  the  community.  You 
know,  by  our  admirable  Constitution,  we  cannot  vote  be 
cause  we  are  not  of  the  elder  branch.  We  get  very  little 
of  the  large  estates,  for  they  are  all  'Jidei  commits '  (set 
tled  on  the  eldest  son),  and  so  we  are  all  dependent  on  tho 


262  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

elder  brothers,  or  we  must  work,  to  which  we  have  not  been 
trained." 

"  Can  you  never  take  a  seat  in  Parliament  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Yes — if  the  caput  familia,  as  we  call  him,  will  resign  his 
seat  to  us.  Sometimes  we  can  buy  a  seat  from  a  poor  noble." 

The  forges  which  we  examined  afterwards  contained  noth 
ing  remarkable.  The  great  hammers  were  raised  by  a  very 
rude  contrivance — the  outside  spokes  of  a  vhec i  carried  by 
water,  striking  the  head  of  the  hammer,  once  :u  L  ;.:  /en  time 
— it  falling  again  by  its  own  weight.  The  furnaces  were 
heated  with  charcoal.  I  observed  in  one  part  of  our  walk, 
a  pretty  school-house  of  stone,  which  these  gentlemen  were 
erecting  for  the  children  of  their  workmen. 

We  stopped  for  the  night  at  a  kind  of  chateau,  belong 
ing  to  another  iron-manufacturer — a  most  simple,  gen 
tlemanly  person.  He  is  manufacturing  chains  and  iron 
cables  and  the  like  : — two  hundred  and  fifty  workmen — 
produce  100,000  rix  dollars  per  annum — wages  from  twenty- 
five  cents  to  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents  per  diem — number 
of  hours  of  labor,  eight.  The  cables  are  tried  by  a  hydro 
static  machine  to  such  a  tension  that  a  quarter-ounce  differ 
ence  in  the  weight  will  break  or  preserve  them.  When  the 
new  railroad  is  finished  from  Soderhamn  to  Bolnaes,  all 
these  iron  works  will  be  greatly  benefited.  This  gentleman 
informed  me  that  his  establishment  has  a  vote  for  a  member 
of  Parliament,  as  now  the  iron  interest  is  represented  by  live 
members  in  the  House  of  Burgers.  This  concession  was  made 
a  few  years  ago  by  the  Parliament  in  order  to  quiet  some  of 
the  grumblings  against  the  uuuieldly  Constitution.  Like 


THE    BIRCHES.  263 

the  other  great  factories,  his  establishment  is  obliged  to 
have  a  school  for  the  children  of  the  workmen,  and  for  others 
in  the  parish. 

We  were  very  hospitably  entertained  here.  The  house 
was  prettily  furnished,  and  had  a  great  number  of  French 
engravings,  especially  of  the  heroes  of  the  French  Revolu 
tion.  In  the  better  class  of  Swedish  houses,  one  often  sees 
these  indications  of  the  former  well-known  French  bias  of 
the  nation.  I  bid  adieu  the  next  morning  to  this  gentleman 
and  his  courteous  hospitality  with  regret. 

Orsa. — The  beginning  of  our  ride  towards  this  village 
was  through  very  desolate  pine  barrens.  The  characteristic 
Swedish  scenery  are  woods  of  pines,  with  glimpses  of  lakes 
under  the  sombre  branches,  and  occasional  sun-lit  glades, 
varied  by  groves  of  that  exquisitely  beautiful  tree,  the  Nor 
thern  drooping  birch.  The  glory  of  Scandinavia  is  the 
birch  groves.  We  have  nothing  like  them  in  America.  The 
glimmering,  trembling  leaves,  the  graceful  droop  of  the 
branches,  the  light  and  shade — the  tone  which  nature  herself, 
iu  truest  feeling,  has  impressed  on  the  bark  of  their  gigantic 
trunks,  so  that  without  sun-light,  there  is  a  perpetual  variety 
of  light  through  their  checkered  arches — make  unforgetable 
pictures  in  the  traveller's  memory. 

A  pleasant  cheerful  tree,  which  we  met  near  the  villages, 
is  the  mountain  ash,  with  clusters  of  the  most  brilliant  red 
berries.  This  tree,  so  familiar  to  the  student  of  Scandina 
vian  mythology,  is  still  cherished  by  the  superstitious  of  the 
peasants.  Its  name  sounds  almost  precisely  the  same  as  the 
Scotch  "  rowan-tree"  —Ron. 


264:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

As  we  entered  Dalecarlia,  the  costumes  began  to  change. 
Hitherto  in  Helsingeland,  we  have  seen  black  caps  with  red 
tassels,  dark  jackets  and  breeches  ;  now  the  peasants  have 
white  cap  and  jacket,  sometimes  with  curious  tassels  at  their 
knees.  The  faces  are  generally  swarthy,  with  high  cheek 
bones,  eyes  dark,  but  hair  light  and  long.  We  have  passed 
one  village  of  log-houses — Skattungeby — utterly  deserted, 
the  people  being  all  in  the  fields.  Each  farm  has  precisely 
the  same  arrangements — the  gate  opening  through  the  barn 
into  a  little  square,  each  side  of  which  is  a  log-cabin.  The 
servants  and  animals  sleep  in  the  same  building.  There  is 
not  a  framed  glass  window  in  the  village,  or  a  frame  house. 
The  church  only  is  a  handsome,  modern-painted  building.  In 
the  middle  of  the  town  is  a  high  "  mid-summer  pole,"  with 
garlands  still  upon  it,  and  bristling  with  wooden  swords  and 
arrows  of  ancient  shapes,  perhaps  all  in  the  form  established 
by  the  worshippers  of  Odin  and  Thor. 

A  Postman. — (Postman,  overwhelmed  in  astonishment,) 
"  From  America  !  Gud  bevars !  (God  forbid.)  Did  the  Herr 
come  by  land  so  far  ?" 

"Water  ;  and  3,000  miles  in  eleven  days." 

"  Ha !  I  suppose  every  one  makes  money  there  ?  S. 

B has  just  come  back  here  to  live,  with  pockets  full. 

He  was  in — in — " 

"  Louisville,"  said  my  companion,  who  knew  the  case, 

"  What  are  wages  in  America,  sir  ?" 

"  Four  riks,  and  meat  every  day." 

"  What  a  country  1  We  cannot  make  twenty-four  skil- 
liiigs  (twelve  cents)  a  day  here.  And  I  have  never  eaten 


POSTMAN'S    THEOLOGY.  265 

meat  for  seven  months,  and  my  wife  and  we  all  ate  lark 
bread  *  last  winter." 

We  asked  whether  he  drank  liquor.  He  shook  his  head 
lugubriously.  "  We  have  no  money,  Herr,  for  brandy,  it 
costs  too  much."  My  companion  led  him  on  to  the  subject 
of  the  Dissenters — the  Baptists. 

"  Oh,  yes,  Herr,  I  knew  some.  One  poor  devil  in  T , 

says  he  will  never  have  his  boy  baptized  by  the  church. 
They  have  a  little  chapel  not  far  away.  But  God  will 
destroy  the  infidels  !  People  say  that  they  are  going  to 
stop  all  dances,  yet  every  one  knows  that  they  sleep  to 
gether,  men  and  women,  every  night,  and  then  go  about 
screaming  and  praying  to  frighten  honest  people.  They  will 
all  go  to  hell,  certainly  !"  There  was  much  gusto  in  the 
tone  with  which  he  disposed  of  the  unfortunate  Bap 
tists. 

Gradually,  in  our  route,  we  began  to  descend  towards  the 
valley  of  Lake  Siljan,  the  historic  part  of  Dalecarlia,  and  the 
seat  of  the  bravest  and  best  population  of  Sweden.  Here 
Gustavus  Yasa  concealed  himself  from  the  victorious  Danes, 
until  at  length  his  eloquence  roused  the  peasantry  to  the  first 
resistance,  which  finally  freed  the  country.  Geijer  says,  that 
in  these  speeches  of  Gustavus  to  the  peasants,  the  old  men 
reckoned  it  as  a  good  sign  that  the  north  wind  always  blew, 
"  which  was  an  old  token  to  them  that  God  would  grant 
them  good  success." 

We  were  well  pleased  to  enter  a  cultivated  country  again, 

*  This  is  the  bark  and  resin  of  the  pine,  mingled  with  a  little  bran. 
12 


266  THE    JNoBSE- 

with  homesteads  and  marks  of  prosperity,  after  so  long  an 
experience  of  the  pine  woods.  The  Swedes  are  very  enthu 
siastic  over  the  Stijan  scenery.  It  is  gentle  and  pleasing — 
that  is  all  one  can  say,  and  to  a  traveller  fresh  from  Norway, 
it  seems  tame  and  commonplace. 

The  sturdy  Dalecarlians  were  at  work  in  the  fields,  men 
and  women,  in  very  picturesque  white,  black,  and  red  cos 
tumes.  As  we  rattled  by  into  Orsa,  the  post-boy  put  them 
all  into  excitement  by  his  cries,  "  An  American  !  an  Ameri 
can  !" 

We  are  now  among  the  genuine  Dalecarlians,  or  "  Dales 
men" — the  dales  being  made  primarily  by  the  two  branches 
of  the  Dal  River,  which  unite  below,  near  Fahlun.  There 
are  many  glens  and  cross-valleys,  beside  the  two  principal 
valleys.  The  whole  number  of  persons  inhabiting  these, 
may  be  150,000. 

Mora. — We  did  not  stop  in  Orsa,  but  hurried  on  to  Mora, 
as  one  of  the  most  characteristic  points  of  the  provinces. 
The  village  is  built  on  the  northern  extremity  of  Lake  Siljan, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Oster  Dal  River.  Our  hotel  was  un 
usually  good,  still  poor  enough — the  walls  decorated  with 
prints  from  Frithiofs  Saga.  The  pastor,  to  whom  we  were 
especially  recommended,  lived  but  a  little  distance  ;  a  man 
of  large  proportions  in  heart  and  body,  with  a  sort  of 
fatherly-arbitrary  relation  to  every  one,  which  was  very 
agreeable.  After  the  first  introduction,  we  sat  in  front  of 
the  house  under  the  old  trees,  the  party  smoking  and  drink 
ing  the  home-made  beer. 

"We  have  seldom  had  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  from  an 


TRAITS    OF    PEASANTS.  267 

American,"  said  the  old  man.  "  Walkommen  !"  clapping  me 
heartily  on  the  shoulder,  "  but  we  have  one  or  two  peasants 
who  speak  English." 

I  asked  how  that  was?  "You  must  know,"  he  answered, 
"that  our  Dalccarlians  are  the  most  migratory  people  in 
Sweden.  They  wander  all  over  Europe  to  sell  their  little 
wares — hair-chains,  bracelets,  and  watches.  There  are 
about  two  thousand  now  absent  from  my  parish.  They 
go  to  Russia  and  Italy,  and  even  England.  But  they 
always  come  back.  They  love  nothing  so  much  as  this 
poor  country.  They  are  the  proudest  people  !  The  Fru 
Prostinna  will  tell  you  what  trouble  we  have  with  servants. 
We  must  send  to  Helsingeland,  and  other  provinces  ;  no 
Dalecarlian  will  be  a  house  servant  ! 

"  They  are  a  brave  people,"  he  added,  seeing  my  interest, 
"  the  most  honest  people  of  the  world,  I  think.  If  you  will 
pass  through  these  villages  at  any  hour,  you  will  see  linens 
and  furs  and  various  things  of  value  left  out,  and  no  one 
ever  loses  a  styfver  (stiver).  And  there  is  something  so 
strong  and  inexpressive  in  them  !  I  remember  when  the 
first  little  steamboat  plied  on  this  lake.  I  happened  to 
be  out  and  saw  it  first,  and  turned  and  told  a  Bonder 
who  was  ploughing,  '  There's  the  steamboat !  Have  you 
seen  it  V  He  turned  and  looked  at  it,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
was  overwhelmed  with  astonishment.  It  was  the  first  he 
had  ever  seen,  but  he  only  answered,  quietly,  '  I  see  it/ 
and  went  on  ploughing  !  They  never  will  betray  their  feel 
ings.  Lately  a  proposition  was  made  to  my  church  to 
have  a  picture  of  Gustavus  Vasa  placed  in  the  building, 


268  THE    NORSE-  FOLK. 

in  commemoration  of  the  great  services  of  their  ancestors. 
'  No/  they  said,  '  what  our  fathers  did  does  not  need 
any  pictures  or  writing.  Every  man  knows  it  '  —  and  they 
refused." 

They  are  exceedingly  ingenious  with  machinery,  the  pas 
tor  says.  He  has  known  a  peasant  after  a  single  exami 
nation  of  this  little  steamboat,  go  home  and  construct  a 
miniature  steam-engine.  The  telegraph  runs  now  along  all 
the  great  roads  in  Sweden.  One  of  these  men  told  the 
pastor,  on  seeing  it,  that  if  he  could  only  once  examine 
the  marking  machine,  he  would  engage  to  construct  a  tele 
graph  from  his  house  to  the  parsonage  1 

Our  host's  account  of  the  morals  of  his  parish  corresponds 
with  all  we  have  heard  of  Dalecarlia.  There  are  9,000 
souls  in  it,  and  he  never  has  heard  of  more  than  two  Oi 
three  illegitimate  children  in  the  year.  Yet,  with  this  re 
markably  favorable  condition  of  morals,  there  exists  here 
as  everywhere  in  Dalecarlia,  the  singular  custom  of  the 
Fria,* 

When  a  Bonder  would  woo  a  maiden,  he  is  allowed  by  the 
parents  to  sleep  with  her,  both  being  in  their  full  clothing. 
When  there  are  several  lovers,  three  or  four  will  frequently 
pass  the  night  together.  For  this  purpose  beds  of  immense 
width  are  in  use  among  the  peasants.  Sometimes  for  more 
unreserved  communication,  they  will  sleep  in  the  cattle- 
stalls,  as  otherwise  they  are  in  the  same  room  with  their 
parents.  Saturday  and  Sunday  nights  are  the  universal 


*  Got  frijon  ;  Sansc.  prinami  ;  Gr.  <j>ihqtit,  TrpiaKoe  —  Save. 


SINGULAR    CUSTOMS.  269 

nights  through  Norrland  for  the  "  wooing."  The  custom 
has  furnished  much  subject  for  the  poets  of  the  country, 
and  probably  will  be  one  of  the  last  which  the  Bonders 
will  abandon,  under  the  influences  of  advancing  civilization. 
It  exists  only  occasionally  in  Sweden  out  of  Dalecarlia  ; 
but,  as  we  have  seen,  in  many  parts  of  Norway,  in  Finland, 
and,  it  is  said,  in  Switzerland.  Here,  it  seems  entirely  pure 
and  innocent.  A  friend  tells  me  he  has  known  a  Bonder 
thus  woo  his  maiden  for  nine  years  !  One  great  preser 
vative  in  Dalecarlia  against  vice  is  undoubtedly  the  early 
age  at  which  marriages  are  made — the  groom  often  not 
being  more  than  eighteen. 

The  father,  in  the  marriages  of  the  peasants,  has  great 
authority — frequently  giving  away  a  daughter  with  very 
little  regard  to  her  feelings.  There  is  a  secret  contract 
and  ceremony  before  the  marriage  in  the  church,  about 
which  little  is  known.  The  Bonder  is  as  aristocratic  in 
his  connections  as  the  Noble  in  his.  A  Burger  would  be 
much  more  likely  to  marry  the  daughter  of  a  peasant, 
than  a  Bonder  (a  free-holder)  the  daughter  of  a  Tor  pare 
(a  farm-servant  paying  his  rent  by  labor).  One  of  the 
evils  of  Dalecarlia  is  the  division  of  land.  It  is  customary 
for  the  father  to  divide  his  land  equally  among  his  children  ; 
and  the  consequence  is,  that  the  estates  at  last  come  down 
into  the  smallest  parcels,  and  a  man  will  own  a  lot  not 
larger  than  a  small  bed-room  in  one  spot,  and  another  of 
equal  size,  perhaps  half  a  mile  away,  so  that  you  see  every 
where  the  fields  cut  up  by  innumerable  lines  of  fences.  One 
great  object  of  marriage  accordingly  is  to  unite  neighboring 


270  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

lots,  and  all  else  that  concern  the  two  parties  is  often 
sacrificed  to  contiguity.  These  little  properties  are  fre 
quently  pawned  to  the  larger  proprietors  near,  and  still 
paying  taxes,  they  are  eaten  up  at  last  by  the  burdens. 

The  custom  of  the  Frla  has  a  corresponding  custom  in  New  Eng 
land,  which  undoubtedly  existed  in  all  parts  of  it  in  our  early  history, 
perhaps  derived  from  the  Norwegians  of  Northumberland — the  Sun 
day  evening  "  bundling." 


CHAPTER     XXIII. 

DALE  C ABLI A. 

WHILE  we  were  sitting  by  the  parsonage  chatting,  a 
young  peasant  came*  up,  in  leather  apron,  white  wool  cloak, 
breeches,  and  thick  cumbrous  shoes.  He  wore  a  black  felt 
hat  with  cockade.  As  the  parson  clapped  him  on  the 
shoulder,  his  manner  was  modest  and  submissive,  but  when 
he  took  off  his  hat,  he  revealed  a  very  intelligent  face,  and  a 
well-shaped  head,  with  an  expression  of  much  native  dignity. 
"  Our  Representative  to  the  House  of  Bonders,  and  Secre 
tary  of  the  Sockenstamma,"  said  our  host.  "He  is  just 
chosen  for  the  first  time." 

This  was  a  lucky  fortune  to  me.  From  the  beginning  of  my 
journey  in  Sweden,  this  class  had,  more  than  any,  interested 
me,  and  more  than  any  was  difficult  to  comprehend.  They 
were  evidently  not  gentlemen,  or  exactly  our  "farmers," 
or  the  English  yeomanry,  or  the  German  Bauer.  Their 
whole  position,  and  privileges,  and  character  seemed  original. 

I  asked  about  this  Sockenstamma.  "  It  is,"  said  the 
pastor  or  Prost,  "a  kind  of  parish  meeting,  which  manages 
all  the  affairs  of  the  parish.  The  freeholders  alone  have 
the  right  to  vote.  It  takes  care  of  the  church  matters, 
the  roads,  the  poor,  and  the  schools.  We  usually  now  have 

2H 


2T2  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

a  separate  committee  for  each  of  these.  You  see,  now, 
they  are  repairing  my  parsonage,  unfortunately  for  my 
guests.  They  have  the  right  to  choose  the  clergyman, 
where  the  parish  is  not  a  royal  one  ;  that  is — the  Consis 
tory  presents  three,  who  preach  on  trial,  and  the  meeting 
chooses  from  them.  "Who  presides  over  them  ?"  I  asked. 
"I  do,  in  my  parish — ex  offido.  This  young  man  here  is 
the  Secretary,  and  has  a  small  salary.  He  has  shown  him 
self  a  thorough  business-man  there,  and  that  has  made  him 
elected  for  this.  Talk  with  him  ;  you  will  find  he  is  no 
boor.  Will  you  take  snuff,  sir  ?" 

"  No,  thank  you.     What  is  he  paid  ?" 

"  The  peasants  determine  that — probably  five  dollars  riks 
yald  ($1,25)  a  day." 

"  Will  he  wear  that  dress  in  Stockholm  !" 

"  Certainly — that  is — his  best  national  costume.  If  he  did 
not,  he  would  never  be  returned  again.  The  last  member 
was  a  little  ashamed  of  it,  and  it  ruined  him  here.  He 
cannot  be  elected  again." 

We  started  out  on  a  walk  towards  the  church.  I  tried 
to  get  the  delegate  into  a  conversation,  and  asked  him  what 
position  he  intended  to  take  on  the  question  of  reform  in 
the  Representation.  "I  go  to  Stockholm  to  school,"  he 
answered  sententiously.  I  asked  if  the  peasants  were  much 
in  favor  of  railroads.  He  said  those  in  his  Province  were 
beginning  to  see  how  necessary  they  were,  and  he  had 
already  bought  two  shares  himself  in  the  Bolnaes  road. 
"Why  should  the  peasants  object  to  any  man's  voting  in 
their  class,  if  he  owned  land?"  I  asked.  "Is  it  right  to 


POLITICAL   TALK.  273 

exclude  very  useful  men  thus  from  the  State  ?"  "  It  seemed 
unreasonable,"  he  answered,  "but  he  had  not  fully  considered 
the  question." 

The  pastor  pointed  out  on  our  walk,  some  large  meadow 
lands,  which  were  public  property  formerly,  and  had  occa 
sioned  them  much  trouble  in  the  different  claims  of  indi 
viduals  to  a  share  in  them.  Now,  he  said,  the  Secretary 
had  just  framed  a  plan  of  dividing  the  lands  among  the 
freeholders  of  the  parish,  in  proportion  to  the  taxes  they 
paid  ;  and  after  a  hot  discussion,  it  had  been  passed. 

As  in  every  circle  I  have  visited  in  Sweden,  the  conver 
sation  fell  soon,  between  the  pastor  and  me,  on  American 
politics.  The  clergyman  explained  to  the  delegate,  that 
"America,  the  freest  land  in  the  world,  has  the  stain  of 
slavery  upon  it ;"  and  that  this  election  turns  on  the  ex 
tension  of  it.  The  peasant  knew  it,  and  inquired  about  the 
chances  of  Fremont !  "No  Swede  in  America,"  added 
he  proudly,  "  will  ever  vote  to  have  a  slave."  They  were 
much  interested  in  the  Know  Nothing  party,  as  in  oppo 
sition  to  Romanism.  "Oh,  the  sects!  the  sects! — that  is 
the  disgrace  of  America  !"  said  the  clergyman  ;  and  the 
peasant  nodded  a  sad  assent.  "  What  can  Christ's  church 
be  worth,  when  it  is  broken  up  into  so  many  little  parties, 
all  quarrelling  with  each  other  ?"  I  replied,  warmly.  But 
as  these  discussions  occurred  with  almost  every  new  ac 
quaintance  (and  I  shall  have  occasion  soon  to  mention 
one),  it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  it  here.  The  first  con 
ception  of  religious  freedom  has  scarcely  entered  the  Swedish 
mind. 

12* 


274  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

We  entered  the  church — an  immense  cruciform  white 
building,  with  the  inner  architecture  somewhat  in  a  crypt 
form,  the  ponderous  arches  meeting  and  uniting  in  massive 
columns — an  exceedingly  roomy  and  impressive  arrange 
ment.  The  interior  was  white.  There  are  frequently  five 
thousand  people  comfortably  seated  at  the  Sunday  service. 
The  building  dates  back  to  the  thirteenth  century.  All  the 
galleries  are  decorated  with  quaint  paintings  of  Scripture 
scenes — sometimes  an  allegorical  series,  in  which  the  tor 
tures  of  the  damned  were  a  prominent  feature. 

The  Prost  thinks  there  is  a  profound  religious  feeling 
among  the  people  shown  in  these  solemn  and  crowded  Sun 
day  services  ;  and  he  finds  the  same  well  tested  in  the  prac 
tical  life,  in  sorrow  and  misfortune.  The  hard-drinking 
habits  have  much  decreased.  He  has  been  making  great 
efforts  for  education.  The  new  ordinance  of  the  ministry 
left  a  little  choice  to  the  clergy  in  respect  to  the  established 
school  in  his  parish  ;  the  distances  were  too  great  for  the 
children  to  attend  any  one  school  ;  accordingly  he  had 
opened  home  schools  (after  Count  Rudenskold's  plan)  in 
certain  of  the  private  houses,  where  the  youngest  children 
are  taught  by  women,  whom  he  paid  from  the  moneys  voted 
for  education.  An  informal  but  effective  system,  he  thinks. 
There  are  about  one  thousand  children  in  the  home  schools 
of  his  parish.  They  need,  very  much.,  thoroughly  trained 
teachers  for  the  older  scholars. 

When  we  returned  to  the  house,  we  found  some  of  the 
peasants  there  who  had  been  in  England,  and  we  had  a 
lonor  conversation  together. 


TALK   WITH    PEASANT.  275 

One  of  them  said  to  me  :  "  They  used  to  tell  us  in  Scot 
land — '  You  are  very  far  behind  in  Sweden — no  iron  roads, 
no  improvements,  and  so  on/  But  I  always  said — '  No  such 
crowds  of  poors,  and  not  so  much  whisky  in  our  country.'  I 
f--aw  so  bad  things  in  Glasgow  !" 

"  What  books  do  you  read  at  home,  here  \n  I  asked. 

"  We  read  only  the  Bible,  and  sometimes  the  Psalm-book. 
Then  a  few  people  takes  the  Waktaren  (a  newspaper)  from 
Stockholm." 

I  tried,  next,  to  draw  out  from  him  the  belief  of  the  peo 
ple  about  witchcraft  and  such  matters  ;  but  he  was  too 
cautious  to  give  much  information — "  Some  believes  in  good 
spirits,  and  some  in  bads." 

"Do  your  peasants  care  much  for  politics  ?" 

"  No,  sir — if  they  be  let  alone." 

"  Do  you  vote  ?" 

"  No,  sir  ;  I  have  no  hemmaii  (freehold)." 

The  pastor  asked  him  if  he  had  an  English  Testament. 
He  said  he  had,  and  then  read  very  well  from  one  which 
was  brought  to  him.  As  we  were  about  to  go  to  the  vil 
lage,  our  host  ordered  out  some  ginger-beer,  and  it  was 
given  to  all  who  were  gathered  about  the  door — among 
others,  to  the  member  of  Parliament,  who  took  off  his  hat 
respectfully  on  receiving  it.  On  bidding  good-bye  to  the 
peasants,  I  attempted  to  give  a  small  gratuity  to  the  one 
with  whom  I  had  been  talking,  but  he  would  not  take  it, 
and  it  was  only  with  considerable  difficulty  that  I  induced 
him  to  do  so. 

It  was  a  lovely  sunset,  as  we  walked  by  the  quiet,  peace- 


276  THE    ~N  o  RBE-  FOLK. 

ful  lake,  towards  the  hamlet — a  broad  beam  of  golden  light 
falling  over  the  rich  harvest-fields  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Dal,  and  the  gentle  rounded  hills  on  the  horizon,  and 
gleaming  from  the  coppered  spire  of  the  church  ;  the  pastor 
leading  the  way,  pipe  in  hand,  talking  most  earnestly.  The 
Adjunct  (vicar),  in  demure  black  cap,  on  one  side,  and  the 
delegate  with  his  picturesque  costume,  behind  ;  the  rest  of 
us  keeping  up  with  the  rapid  pace,  and  talking  as  eagerly. 

The  pastor  pointed  to  the  hills  and  said  :  "  Those  are  the 
mountains — Oestberg,  and  the  next — where  the  peasants 
believe  the  Troll,  and  the  fairies,  and  witches  still  have 
their  revels.  They  are  poor,  ignorant  creatures,  some  of 
them  !"  I  expressed  my  interest  in  these  old  superstitions. 
"You  will  not  meet  with  many,  Herr  B.,  here,"  he  answered. 
"  The  Dalecarliaus  are  too  enlightened  ;  but  in  other  parts 
of  Sweden,  there  are  very  singular  beliefs.  Indeed,  lately 
here,  I  found  that  there  was  a  certain  spring,  out  of  which 
the  peasants  would  not  drink,  without  first  spitting  into  it, 
in  order  to  avert  the  influence  of  the  evil  spirits  ! 

"  But  these  are  not  the  only  hills,  Herr  B.  See  you 
there  !  that  rounded  small  hill  near  the  river.  There  the 
great  Gustavus  first  harangued  the  peasantry  of  Mora, 
before  they  took  up  arms  for  the  country  !" 

I  asked  if  the  people  really  cherished  these  recollections. 
He  replied  that  they  did  ;  but  now  without  much  speaking 
of  them. 

"  Over  there  again,  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  is  the 
cellar  of  Utmedland,  where  the  King  concealed  himself." 

They  spoke   of  the  Baptists,   who   had  just    opened    a 


LAW    AGAINST    BAPTISTS.  277 

chapel  near  by.  "  They  are  liable  to  the  law — every  one  of 
them,"  said  the  clergyman.  "The  last  Parliament  made 
it  a  criminal  offence  for  any  layman  to  administer  the  ordi 
nances.  They  could  be  fined  and  banished." 

"  Why  do  you  not  enter  proceedings  against  them  ?  they 
are  disturbing  the  whole  country,"  said  the  vicar. 

"  Because  I  am  doubtful  of  the  expediency  of  it,"  he 
replied.  "It  is  a  long  affair,  besides.  They  must  be 
warned  by  me  a  certain  number  of  times  first,  and  then  the 
case  may  be  carried  from  court  to  court." 

"  Was  not  this  whole  thing  brought  before  the  courts  a 
few  years  ago  ?"  I  asked. 

"  It  was  :  but  by  the  old  law,  those  who  administered  the 
ordinances  with  motives  of  mockery,  were  alone  liable  ;  and 
though  the  first  court  condemned  them,  the  higher  court  of 
appeal  reversed  the  sentence — rightly,  in  my  opinion,  for 
certainly  these  poor  deluded  people  had  no  intention  of  mock- 
cry.  But  now,  under  the  new  law,  they  cannot  escape." 

I  spoke  of  the  folly  of  persecution — that  a  good  cause 
never  gains  by  it,  and  the  bad,  when  persecuted,  takes  on  a 
better  appearance  to  all  men  of  humane  feelings.  The  pas 
tor  admitted  it  philosophically — "but  the  time  has  not 
come  here,  yet,  for  conscience-freedom.  When  we  are 
ready  for  a  Republic,  we  will  be  ready  for  that !" 

"  And  for  a  man  not  to  baptize  his  own  child  !  Athe 
istic  !"  added  his  vicar. 

"  Besides,  look  at  America  !  We  have  seen  there  what 
religious  freedom  is.  Every  preacher  is  seeking  to  advance 
his  own  sect — not  the  evangelical  spirit  of  religion.  You 


278  THE    NORSK-FOLK. 

have  Methodists  and  Baptists,  and  Episcopalians,  and  Mor 
mons — and  there  is  sometimes  hostility  among  them,  as  you 
just  admitted.  I  have  here  a  parishioner  who  was  in  your 
country  ;  he  gives  melancholy  relations  of  the  want  of 
evangelical  piety  and  interest  in  the  churchly  ordinances." 

"  Where  was  he,  Herr  Prost  ?" 

"  In  Slid  Carolina,  I  think." 

I  explained  then,  that  we  would  not  admit  a  Slave  State  to 
be  a  fair  representative  of  the  religious  character  of  our 
Union,  and  then  gave  them  more  fully,  than  in  the  previous 
discussion,  our  American  position  with  respect  to  religious 
freedom.  The  aspects  which  individuals  take  of  truth  must  be 
different — it  is  a  necessity.  Why  should  not  then  religious 
bodies  represent  some  of  these  endless  differences  ?  These 
various  sects  were  all  united  in  the  grand  principles — Love  to 
God  and  Love  to  men — but  consented  to  differ  on  these  other 
points.  My  own  experience  was,  that  the  preachers  were  not 
especially  given  to  urging  on  the  interests  of  their  sect,  as 
opposed  to  other  sects;  that  the  most  popular  clergymen  were 
those  who  were  least  sectarian.  In  private  life,  certainly, 
sectarian  differences  had  very  little  influence,  and  we  never 
troubled  ourselves  about  the  theological  position  of  our 
associates.  I  believed  our  people  as  thoroughly  imbued 
with  a  deep  religious  feeling  and  principle  as  any  other, 
though  the  great  Sin  of  a  part  of  our  nation  had  certainly 
poisoned  all  in  contact  with  it. 

Our  great  principle  in  America — as  we  believe,  the  prin 
ciple  of  Protestantism — is  that  the  conscience  must  be  free  ; 
that  liberty  is  the  true  atmosphere  of  the  soul,  and  without 


PEASANTS'    CHILDREN.  279 

it,  religious  life  withers  and  dies.  We  conceive  that  this 
has  nothing  to  do  with  republicanism,  or  with  forms  of  gov 
ernment — that  it  is  universal  and  eternal — true  in  all  times, 
through  all  societies  and  in  all  countries. 

They  listened  respectfully,  and  as  I  had  spoken  in  Ger 
man,  the  Prost  translated  to  the  delegate,  who  made  no 
reply. 

"  Here  we  are  at  Andersen's  ga'rd  (farm)!" 

This  again  had  the  same  arrangement  of  houses  in  a 
little  square,  though  the  farm  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  village.  A  woman  sat  in  the  doorway  to  the 
kitchen,  eating — some  little  girls  frolicking  behind  her — 
such  sweet  children,  brown  cheeks  with  a  color  richer 
than  the  freshest  peach-bloom,  loose  flaxen  curls,  dancing 
blue  eyes,  and  forms  so  plump  and  healthy  !  This  is  our 
general  observation  in  Dalecarlia  ;  the  children  are  wonder 
fully  pretty,  but  the  women,  though  very  healthy-looking, 
show  the  effect  of  hard  work — their  faces  are  thin  and  forms 
stumpy.  This  woman  was  dressed  in  the  usual  red  bodice 
and  white  skirt,  with  a  white  cap  on  her  head.  A  number 
of  men  stood  around,  tall,  powerful  figures,  in  white  gar 
ments  like  the  Houses.  Their  faces  were  usually  florid,  with 
long  light  hair,  blue  eyes  and  high  cheek-bones  ;  an  expres 
sion  in  the  countenances  of  subdued  force  and  of  seriousness. 

The  Prost  introduced  me  to  the  woman,  and  after  a  few 
words,  asked  for  a  bit  of  her  bread  to  give  me.  I  took  a 
small  piece,  hardly  larger  than  a  dollar,  and  tasted  it  ;  it 
was  coarse  oat-cake  :  then,  not  liking  to  hand  it  back  to 
the  woman,  I  inadvertently  dropped  it  on  the  grass  at  my 


280  THK     NORSE-FOLK. 

side.  Her  face  changed  in  an  instant,  the  eyes  flashed, 
but  before  she  could  speak,  the  pastor  had  picked  it  up  and 
placed  it  on  her  lap,  and  I,  seeing  my  mistake,  compli 
mented  it,  and  she  seemed  molliiied. 

"  That  was  nearly  a  bad  affair,"  whispered  the  Prost 
immediately  after.  "  Every  Dalccarlian  looks  on  it  as  one 
of  the  worst  sins  to  throw  bread  on  the  ground.  They  have  a 
perfect  superstition  about  it.  The  whole  village  would 
have  known  it  immediately.  All  the  glories  of  America 
could  not  redeem  your  reputation,  if  the  people  thought 
the  Americans  ever  threw  bread  on  the  ground." 

We  went  into  a  kitchen  soon  after,  where  they  were 
baking  on  iron  griddles,  great  round  rye-cakes,  a  foot  and  a 
half  in  diameter.  These  are  kept  and  thoroughly  dried  for 
the  winter.  The  house-mistress  had  a  hearty,  laughing  face, 
and  seemed  much  pleased  at  our  interest  in  her  operations. 
She  took  us  into  the  upper  rooms,  to  see  her  wardrobe. 
Two  large  attic-chambers  were  hung  around  with  dresses — 
colored  prints,  snow-white  wool  aprons  with  brilliant  red 
borders,  silks,  linens,  embroidered  bodices,  wool-jackets, 
deer-skin  coats,  snow-shoes  and  winter-boots.  Taking  up 
one  little  spencer  of  soft  lamb's-wool,  she  said,  "Litet  Lamm!" 
— one  instance  among  many  of  the  resemblances  of  our  lan 
guages.  We  met  here  the  man  who  had  returned  from 
America — a  pale,  cadaverous-looking  fellow.  He  had  had 
the  yellow -fever  in  Charleston,  and  nearly  died  ;  "  thought 
his  own  country  much  better."  As  he  bid  me  good-bye,  the 
peasants  all  laughed  with  delight,  to  hear  him  speak  a 
foreign  language. 


FAREWELL.  281 

Late  in  the  evening  we  returned  to  the  parsonage.  Again 
a  hospitable  supper  was  served,  with  the  silent,  reverential 
grace,  preceding  and  following,  as  if  every  meal  were  a  new 
indication  of  the  universal  Providence.  A  pleasant  talk 
around  the  table  followed.  It  was  noticeable  that  this  gen 
tleman  had  no  wine  or  spirits  on  his  table — a  moderation 
rarely  seen  in  Sweden.  Hearty  shakes  of  the  hand  were 
given — "Adieu  !"  "  Fa-rwalF  and  we  had  parted  from  the 
warm-hearted  family. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

TOUR     IN     DALECARLIA. 

RdtwiJi. — The  Riitwik  parsonage  is  another  of  the  great 
hospitable  parsonages — one  house  being  for  guests  and  sum 
mer  enjoyment,  another  for  the  winter,  another  as  a  study 
for  the  clergyman,  and  still  another  for  the  servants.  In  the 
large  dance  saloon,  called  the  King's  Hall,  in  memory  of  a 
royal  visit,  where  we  meet,  the  outside  doors  are  wide  open, 
and  the  bountiful  dinner  is  brought  in  by  courses,  and  is 
placed  on  a  little  table  in  the  centre,  for  every  one  to  help 
himself  as  he  wishes.  Before  commencing,  the  usual  pre 
lude  is  gone  through  of  a  glass  of  whisky  and  bread  and 
cheese — the  gentlemen  helping  themselves  first,  and  then 
the  ladies.  We  eat  standing.  It  is  a  generous  room,  with 
pine  planks  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet  long,  making  the 
flooring. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  great  times  here,  with  the  dances  on 
Christmas  eve  and  the  holidays  ?"  I  said. 

"  Bevars !  Not  alone  then — every  Sunday  night  !"  said 
a  spirited  young  lady.  * 

"What  is  the  history  of  that  picture,"  I  asked,  pointing 
to  a  painting  on  the  wall.  "  A  wonderful  painting  1" 

282 


PAINTING.  283 

"  Ack  that  !  the  Herr  Pastor  received  it  at  a  lottery  (of 
an  Art  Union).  It  is  very  good — by  Malmstrb'm,  the 
1  Norna  Gest.'  The  talc  is  this.  One  of  the  old  skalds,  in 
the  time  of  the  Vikinger,  was  visited  at  his  birth  by  three 
wise  Norna-women.  The  mother  had  lighted  two  candles  at 
the  cradle,  as  was  commanded,  and  the  old  witches  began  to 
prophesy.  They  told  her  he  should  be  wise  and  great  and 
rich,  and  surpass  all  of  his  day — when  suddenly  the  youngest 
Norna  Greytur  burst  in,  offended  at  not  being  treated  with 
ceremony,  and  she  said  :  *  Boy  !  thou  shalt  not  live  longer 
than  the  candle  that  burns  beside  thee.'  The  mother  was 
in  terror,  but  the  oldest  witch  took  the  candle  and  put  it 
out,  and  gave  it  to  his  mother  and  bade  her  keep  it.  She 
did  so,  and  when  the  boy  grew  and  became  a  famous  bard, 
she  gave  it  to  him.  He  lived  for  three  hundred  years  and 
played  divinely  at  many  courts,  and  celebrated  the  great 
battles.  But  finally  he  sighed  for  Valhalla,  and  became  tired 
of  so  long  a  life,  and  he  took  the  candle  from  the  interior  of 
his  harp,  and  lit  it,  and  watching  it,  he  died." 

"Is  it  not  a  good  saga — and  has  not  the  artist  hit  it  ?" 
It  was  an  old  man  in  antique  barbaric  costume,  of  florid 
Northern  face,  with  long  white  hair  and  an  expression, 
though  pained  and  exhausted,  still  noble.  He  leans  on  a 
quaintly  ornamented  harp,  holding  the  dying  candle  between 
finger  and  thumb,  watching  with  deep  haggard  look  each 
hairVbreadth  lessening  of  the  taper.  His  gaze  was  pene 
trated  beyond  the  fatal  omen  into  the  dark  futurity.  The 
weakness  of  death  is  falling  over  him,  with  the  flickering 
light ;  his  other  arm,  unmuscular  as  becomes  his  vocation, 


284:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

with  the  blue  veins  of  age  on  it,  and  decorated  with  golden 
armlets — Odin's  golden  serpents — the  prizes  of  many  chant- 
ings  of  sagas  and  war  songs,  drops  relaxed  by  his  side  ;  his 
breast  seems  to  rise  feebler  and  feebler,  and  the  fatal  hour 
foretold  by  the  Nornas  will  soon  be  at  hand.  Behind  is  a 
mysterious  Runic  column,  dimly  seen.  The  ornaments  of  his 
harp  and  of  his  dress  have  a  wild,  intelligent  character.  The 
colors  are  fresh  as  life,  still  soft  and  mild  in  tone.  It  is  a 
picture  which  you  cannot  escape  from.  Whatever  you  are 
doing  in  the  room,  the  eyes  wander  back  to  that  mysterious 
Rune  ;  you  are  away  in  dreams  in  the  dim  early  ages  of  the 
Scandinavian  peoples,  among  those  wild  poets  of  courts  and 
battles,  whose  wonderful  mythology  and  Delphic  poetry  make 
a  never  to  be  forgotten  literature.  You  gaze  exhausted  at 
the  dying  candle,  and  look  out  with  the  old  saga-bard  into 
the  dim  unseen,  where  wild  forms  of  evil  and  of  good  pass 
and  repass — the  Nornas,  the  mighty  Thor,  the  evil  Loke, 
the  giants  of  the  frozen  North,  the  awful  Midgaard  serpent 
which  is  to  swallow  all,  but  where,  at  length,  after  the  final 
destruction,  "  a  new  heavens  and  new  earth  shall  come  forth 
and  Baldur,  the  god  of  love,  forever  rule." 

The  church  adjoining  the  parsonage  is  one  of  the  historic 
places  of  Sweden.  Here  Gustavus  Vasa  called  the  people 
together  for  insurrection. 

"  He  bade  the  old  consider  well,  and  the  young  to  inform  them 
selves,  what  manner  of  tyranny  foreigners  had  set  up  in  Sweden,  and 
how  much  they  themselves  had  suffered  and  ventured  for  the  freedom 
of  the  realm.  Sweden  was  now  trampled  under  foot  by  the  Danes, 


INCOMES    OF    PASTORS.  285 

and  its  noblest  blood  had  been  shed;  his  own  father  had  chosen 
rather  with  his  associates,  the  honor-loving  nobles,  in  God's  name  to 
die,  than  to  be  spared  and  survive  them.  Might  they  now  show  them 
selves  men,  who  wished  to  guard  their  native  land  from  slavery,  then 
would  he  become  by  God's  help  their  chief,  and  risk  life  and  welfare 
for  their  freedom,  and  the  deliverance  of  the  realm." — (Geijer.) 

The  building  dates  back  to  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  cen 
tury.  Again,  we  have  the  interior  of  heavy  round  arches, 
meeting  at  points  like  the  arches  of  a  crypt.  On  the  fronts 
of  the  galleries  were  the  names  of  the  different  clergymen  of 
the  parish  in  gilt  letters,  going  back  to  the  Reformation.  In 
one  corner  I  saw  a  number  of  portraits  of  the  Swedish  Kings, 
Charles  XII.,  Charles  XIII.  and  Gustavus  Yasa,  appar 
ently  laid  aside  as  rubbish. 

JSTear  the  church,  the  pastor  had  built  his  school — a  neat 
dwelling-house,  with  rooms  for  the  teacher  and  for  one  of 
the  vicars.  There  are  four  clergymen  in  this  parish,  which 
numbers  8,800  inhabitants.  The  chief  vicar  is  called  Corn- 
minister,  and  the  others  Adjundi.  Among  the  pastors, 
Prost  is  a  higher  title  than  Pastor,  and  Dom  Prost  the 
highest  under  the  Bishop.  These  clergymen  in  Dalecarlia 
are  among  the  richest  and  most  powerful  in  Sweden.  Their 
incomes  from  the  regular  tithes,  and  the  gifts  of  their 
parishioners,  who  are  much  attached  to  them,  amount  to 
12,000  or  15,000  riks  dollars  ($3,000  to  $3,750)  per  annum, 
which  is  very  large  for  the  interior  of  Sweden.  They  all 
keep  several  carriages,  and  their  hospitality  is  unbounded. 
They  are  the  principal  school  managers,  the  leaders  of 
education,  the  chief  members  of  Parliament  and  legal  ad- 


286  THE    NOBBE- FOLK. 

visers,  as  well  as  spiritual  directors  of  the  peasants.  The 
influences  which  the  clergy  in  other  provinces  of  Sweden, 
from  their  lazy  habits  and  Worldly  spirit,  have  lost,  these 
still  retain.  They  are  usually  men  of  the  best  culture,  and 
of  truly  democratic  feelings — their  relation  to  their  flock 
being  very  familiar. 

A  Datecarliau  always  says  "  thou"  to  his  pastor,  which 
is  like  calling  a  man  by  his  first  name  with  us.  A  friend 
relates  that  one  of  the  clergymen  in  these  provinces,  who 
was  a  very  distinguished  preacher,  was  too  much  given 
to  strong  drink.  One  Sunday,  after  a  most  impressive  and 
eloquent  discourse,  when  he  had  come  below  in  his  robes 
to  return  home,  an  old  peasant,  much  respected,  came  up 
to  him,  and  clapping  him  on  the  shoulder,  said — if  we  can 
give  the  equivalent  in  English — "Harry,  thou  preachest  like 
a  whole-souled  man,  but  thou  tipplest  like  any  tavern-keeper." 
This  public  rebuke  is  said  to  have  had  an  excellent  effect. 

When  once  a  parish  has  an  unsuitable  clergyman,  it  is  very 
difficult  to  unseat  him;  and  nothing  but  drunkenness  or  some 
glaring  offence  can  give  sufficient  cause  to  the  Consistory  to 
expel  him.  The  choice,  in  the  first  place,  except  in  the  Royal 
Parishes,  is  directly  from  the  people,  but  limited  to  the 
three  candidates  presented  by  the  Bishop  and  Consistory. 

This  clergyman  had  done  unusually  much  for  education. 
He  had  twenty-six  circulating  schools,  and  two  established  ; 
though  the  time  spent  in  school  by  the  children  is  by  far 
too  short,  being  only  two  days  a  week  for  fourteen  weeks. 
Their  studies  are  the  Bible  and  catechism,  reading,  writing, 
and  reckoning,  and  a  little  history.  The  oreacher  examine* 


CLERICAL    DIGNITY.  287 

them  all  once  or  twice  a  year  ;  and  though  the  children 
are  not  obliged  by  law  to  attend  school,  they  are  obliged 
to  pass  this  examination  before  the  pastor  will  "confirm" 
them  ;  and  without  confirmation,  there  is  no  civil  right  in 
Sweden.  The  teachers,  again,  receive  miserable  pay — some 
only  twelve  riks  dollars  ($3)  a  year  and  board. 

As  we  sat  in  the  roomy  "King's  Hall"  afterwards,  over 
oar  coffee,  the  pastor,  with  long  pipe,  gently  puffing  light 
clouds  out  into  the  summer  air,  I  spoke  of  the  very  different 
position  of  a  country  pastor  in  America — how  much  more 
simple  and  spiritual  his  duties  are.  "Would  it  not  be 
possible  here  to  simplify  the  Constitution,"  I  said,  "  dividing 
the  Parliament  into  two  houses,  and  giving,  if  you  desire, 
to  the  clergy  a  share  in  the  Upper  House  ;  or,  what  we 
would  consider  far  better,  confining  them  entirely  to  spirit 
ual  and  moral  duties  ?  Does  not  this  taking  part  in  political 
life  injure  the  spiritual  tone  of  the  clergy  ?" 

"  It  often  does,  God  knows  I"  he  answered.  "The  parish 
would  not  be  so  frequently  neglected,  and  the  vineyard 
desolate,  if  our  pastors  were  kept  from  Riksdag.  Still,  the 
great  interests  of  the  kingdom  require  a  watchfulness  from 
the  priesthood.  The  working  classes  might  press  us  into 
unhallowed  courses,  if  we  had  no  lot  in  the  affairs  of  the 
state.  They  are  already  seeking  to  take  the  schools  from 
us,  and  to  banish  that  which  is  next  to  the  Word  of  God — 
the  catechism." 

"  But  was  not  your  house  of  clergy  erected  in  an  age 
when  the  clergyman  alone  was  the  educated  man  of  the 
community,  and  when  the  relics  of  Romanism  still  survived 


288  THE     No  K  s  E  -  F  o  L  K  . 

in  the  public  influence  of  the  priesthood  ?     Is  it  so  necessary 
now  ?" 

He  allowed  that  it  was  not,  and  that  he  would  gladly 
see  a  change  which  would  not  too  much  remove  the  shep 
herds  from  their  flocks.  Still,  the  clergy  must  not  lose 
all  share  in  the  state.  They  have  a  right  there. 

"Yet  it  is  often  a  grievous  burden  for  us  of  the  other 
clergy,"  he  added.  "I  pay  twenty-four  riks  dollars  ($6) 
a  month  as  my  proportion  of  the  salary  of  our  member, 
though  he  receives  no  more  than  the  pay  of  a  Bonder  by  the 
day — four  and  a  half  riks  ($1,12) — which  is  little  enough 
in  Stockholm.  But  your  coffee  is  cooling  1" 

As  we  sat  talking,  the  young  ladies  brought  in  some 
flowers,  and  I  heard  them  in  a  discussion.  "  It  is — it  is 
the  spirea"  " No,  it  is  a  ranunculus"  "  Father,  is  it  not 
the  spirea  ulmaria  ?"  And  the  father  decided.  Some  other 
plant  was  mentioned — perhaps  the  well-known  salix  daph- 
noides  on  the  lake — and  a  careless  young  medical  student 
at  once  gave  the  correct  name  and  description.  It  struck 
me  then,  as  it  often  did,  that  botany  was  much  more  an 
habitual  branch  of  knowledge  with  them  than  with  us. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  know  the  names  of  the  old 
magical  plants  of  Scandinavia.  Those  which  drove  away 
death  in  the  old  sagas,  were  plants  that  now  are  not  re 
markable  for  healing  power.  The  books  give  them  as 
enpetrum  ingrum,  fragaria  vesca,  gnaphalium  alpinum,  leon- 
todon  taraxacum,  ranunculus  hederaceus,  stettaria  viviflora, 
and  vaccinium  occycoccos. 


HOSPITABLE    HOME.  289 


LEKSAXD. 

August . — Of  all  the  homes  we  have  visited,  this 

parsonage  is  the  most  glowing  with  hospitality  and  good 
feeling — such  great  rooms,  such  loaded  tables,  and,  above 
all,  such  a  stout-bodied,  great-hearted  host,  the  Domprosten 

11 ,  who  wrings  one's  hand  like  a  vice,  and  claps  one  on 

the  shoulder  with  a  blow  which  shakes  you  to  your  boots  ! 
"  Hah  !  Amerikanare  !  An  American  here  !  Ha  !  ha  !"  He 
talks  to  me  in  French,  German,  English  or  Latin,  and  some 
times  in  a  mixture  of  all,  and  is  said  to  speak  Greek  as  well 
as  any.  He  is  well  known  and  much  beloved  through  the 
whole  country,  and  was  a  successful  member  of  Parliament. 
His  parish,  as  he  tells  me,  contains  twelve  thousand  people, 
and  has  forty-six  schools. 

The  sight  yesterday  morning  (Sunday)  at  his  church  was 
one  of  the  most  impressive  I  ever  saw.  I  rose  at  half-past 
six,  in  a  cool  brilliant  summer  morning,  and  the  people  were 
even  then  beginning  to  straggle  into  the  great  church-yard — 
the  women  arranging  their  toilettes  in  the  angles  of  the 
church-walls.  At  seven,  a  fleet  of  boats  from  various  parts 
of  the  Lake  (Siljan)  were  flashing  and  ploughing  through 
the  water,  all  directed  towards  one  point,  and  pulling  with 
regular  strong  beat,  as  in  a  boat-race.  At  one  time,  I 
counted  thirty-one  large  boats,  with  thirty  or  forty  people 
in  each.  They  were  all  in  costume,  and  the  boats  glistened 
with  white  and  red,  as  if  it  were  some  festal  procession. 
As  each  struck  the  land,  it  emptied  itself  of  the  brilliantly- 


290  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

dressed  party — the  women  in  broad  white  head-dresses,  or 
in  red,  and  with  red  bodices  ;  the  men  wearing  long  black 
coats  reaching  to  the  feet,  and  black  "  Kossuth  hats," 
sometimes  with  embroidery  on  their  shoulders.  As  they 
came  up  the  hill,  with  their  various  colors  fresh  in  the 
morning  sun,  it  made  a  most  picturesque  train.  Each  car 
ried  the  psalm-book  wrapped  in  neat  cloths  ;  and  those  in 
the  rear  bore  the  baskets  of  biscuits  and  onions  for  the  meal 
after  service. 

The  men  were  much  the  finer  looking,  though  the  women 
had  most  hearty,  pleasant,  sun-browned  faces,  with  the 
whitest  teeth;  while  there  were  some  young  girls  of  exquisite 
and  regular  features.  The  head-dresses  have  their  peculiar 
meaning,  and  are  almost  a  police  in  themselves.  The  maid 
ens  wear  simple  colored  bands,  the  hair  braided  in  a  kind  of 
coronal ;  the  wives,  white  caps  ;  those  in  mourning,  or 
about  to  join  in  the  Communion,  pointed  white  flat  triangu 
lar  head-tires  ;  and  those  who  have  children,  unmarried,  still 
another  kind  of  white  decoration,  which  betrays  them  to 
the  whole  community,  and  is  one  of  the  strong  safeguards 
against  licentiousness.  Yet  few,  out  of  the  peasantry,  know 
of  the  exact  appearance  of  this  head-dress. 

By  eight  o'clock,  the  streets  of  the  little  village  were 
crowded  with  a  great  multitude  of  peasants  ;  and  it  was 
notable  how  large  a  part  of  the  place  was  made  up  of  rows 
<>f  little  buildings,  used  alone  as  stables  or  carriage-houses  on 
the  Sunday.  From  land  and  from  water,  they  came  pouring 
into  the  church-yard.  Soon  a  denser  crowd  gathered  ;i  round 
a  particular  spot — a  sad  procession,  with  hearse  and  mo  uru- 


THE  IMMENSE  CONGREGATION.   291 

ers,  entered — the  young  Comminister  read  the  service  over 
the  grave,  arid  the  whole  multitude  in  the  open  air  joined  in 
a  grand  solemn  hymn. 

At  the  same  time,  another  large  company  were  receiving 
the  Communion  in  one  part  of  the  church.  At  half-past 
ten,  when  I  entered,  an  imposing  spectacle  met  the  eye. 
The  spacious  church,  with  the  two  tiers  of  galleries,  its  long 
seats  and  aisles,  was  crowded  to  the  full  ;  the  chandeliers 
and  little  pronged  supports  black  with  hats,  and  every 
available  standing-place  filled — all  by  the  peasants  alone. 
I  saw  but  one  European  bonnet  and  gentleman's  coat  in  the 
house.  It  was  a  vast  array  of  stalwart  working-men,  and 
ruddy,  sun-burnt  women,  in  their  parti-colored,  picturesque 
costume.  All  were  there — the  nursing  child  and  the  hob 
bling  old  man — no  one  was  left  at  home.  I  saw  many 
women  suckling  their  children.  The  men  took  the  seats 
first  ;  those  who  stood  up  in  the  aisles  were  women.  Some 
of  the  mothers  were  feeding  their  infants  with  onions.  As 
each  person  entered,  he  stopped  a  moment,  covered  his  face, 
and  made  the  silent  prayer.  After  a  little  time,  a  hymn 
was  commenced  by  the  congregation — a  monotonous,  melan 
choly  kind  of  chant.  The  organ  was  a  powerful  one,  but  it 
was  almost  drowned  in  the  surges  of  sound  which  rolled  up 
from  the  vast  assembly.  This  was  continued  a  long  time — 
through  some  thirty  or  forty  verses  ;  while  in  it  all,  mingled 
the  cries  of  children,  of  whom  there  were  so  many  in  the 
church.  At  length,  the  clergyman,  in  black  robes,  ascended 
the  pulpit  ;  a  short,  apparently  extempore  prayer  was 
uttered,  and  the  sermon  was  read.  There  was  profound 


292  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

attention  through  the  whole  audience.  After  it,  a  quartette 
was  sung  with  beautiful  effect ;  and  with  another  long  chant 
and  some  reading  of  Scriptures,  the  assembly  dispersed — 
many  standing  without  to  admire  the  new  crown  just  placed 
on  the  Byzantine-like  tower  ;  others  gathering  in  knots,  to 
discuss  business  and  village  affairs. 

My  friends  computed  that  there  were  seven  thousand 
persons  present  in  the  church,  and  this  on  no  unusual  occa 
sion. 

The  people  have  evidently  a  reverential  and  devotional 
disposition,  and  the  degree  of  self-government  granted  to 
each  church,  strengthens  the  interest  of  the  members  in  it. 
I  was  impressed  in  seeing  the  audience,  with  the  wonderful 
opportunities  granted  to  the  Swedish  clergy  for  influence 
over  the  peasants.  In  such  remote  provinces,  they  are  almost 
the  sole  guides  and  directors  ;  there  are  no  nobles,  or  judges, 
or  governors  here,  and  every  Sunday,  they  have  these  vast 
audiences,  upon  which  to  impress  humane  and  liberal,  or 
religious  sentiments.  The  Swedes  are  plainly  susceptible  to 
oratory  ;  and  there  never  was  such  a  field  for  a  great 
Reformer  as  Sweden  is  now.  But  who  is  there  who  will 
come  forward  to  work  it  ? 

We  are  occupying  the  lower  rooms  of  the  Parsonage — 
large,  pleasant  rooms  in  one  of  the  houses  ;  above  us  are  the 
saloons  for  company.  On  the  other  side  of  the  square,  is 
the  kitchen  and  servants'  house,  and  on  still  another  side,  the 
house  for  the  pastor's  family.  The  doors  are  all  open,  and 
in  the  kitchen  department,  1  observed  a  number  of  the  pcor 


SUNDAY    EVENING.  293 

peasants  taking  food  ;  in  the  pastor's  saloon  a  little  table  is 
bounteously  filled,  from  which  we  are  to  take  and  eat,  wher 
ever  we  can  find  a  seat.  A  glass  of  whisky,  and  bread  and 
anchovies,  are  oifered  to  each  first,  as  usual.  A  number  of 
persons  come  in  and  join  us  in  the  meal.  The  servants  bring 
in  course  after  course,  in  most  liberal  measure.  After  the 
dinner,  we  start  for  a  long  walk  by  the  pleasant  lake,  while 
the  Frost  goes  to  the  parish-meeting. 

Sunday  evening,  at  the  pastor's,  is  the/e/e-e veiling  always 
but  more  especially  now,  as  they  wish  to  celebrate  the 
crowning  of  the  Church  tower. 

The  large  guest-saloons  are  thrown  open,  as  well  as  the 
state  bed-chambers,  and  by  six  o'clock  the  guests  begin  to 
come.  The  gentlemen  are  in  one  room,  and  the  ladies  in 
another,  and  as  each  gentleman  enters,  he  shakes  hands  with 
the  pastor,  and  then  with  every  other  gentleman  ;  and  then 
goes  through  the  ladies'  rooms,  bowing  to  each,  very  low  and 
formally,  seldom  shaking  hands.  The  ladies  have  a  similar 
ordeal — each  one  bowing  and  courtesying  all  through  our 
saloon,  to  every  gentleman  whom  she  knows.  It  must  be  no 
joke  to  come  late  to  a  Swedish  levee. 

I  am  standing  near  a  lively  young  gentleman,  who  enter 
tains  me  with  descriptions  of  each  new  arrival.  "  There  ! 
you  see  that  handsome  man  with  white  gloves — that's  our 
great  singer,  from  Stockholm  !  He  led  the  quartette  this 
morning.  But  there's  something  for  you  Democrats  ! — you 
observe  a  very  tall  man  in  long  peasant's  clothes — a  Bonder 
— with  hair  parted  in  the  middle  ?" 


294:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

"  Yes.  Do  peasants  associate  with  the  upper  classes 
so  ?" 

"  Certainly.  He  is  a  delegate  to  the  Riksdag  (Parlia 
ment).  A  good-natured  fellow — rather  weak  though — the 
nobles  lead  him  by  the  nose.  He  lost  his  election  once  on 
account  of  it,  and  another  was  chosen,  who  was  so  much 
worse,  that  they  were  glad  to  keep  this  man." 

"  But  who  are  those  two  men  in  peasant's  clothes,  near 
the  door  ?"  I  said. 

"  Oh  they  ! — they  are  the  heros  du  jour.  Don't  you  see 
how  every  one  shakes  hands  with  them  ?  How  awkward 
the  poor  devils  look  1  They  are  the  workmen  who  put  the 
crown  on  the  spire  at  last.  Dom  Prosten  (our  host)  is 
almost  ready  to  hug  them — how  he  claps  them  !  He  is  a 

democrat  for  you  ! — But  there  ! — you  see  ! — Captain  S , 

the  gentleman  with  the  moustache,  he  doesn't  shake  hands 
with  them.  He  is  a  noble,  you  know.  Herr  Y.  and  N., 
and  all  the  burgers  do  at  once. 

"It's  a  singular  thing,"  he  added,  "those  poor  fools  are 
hardly  intelligible  to  a  Stockholmer.  I  suppose  you  .could 
make  nothing  of  their  dialect.  I  know  their  jargon  now,  I  have 
been  so  much  among  them.  The  Prost  does  say  though,  that 
it's  more  like  the  old  Norse  than  any  other  language  now  used. 
They  have  a  diabolical  drawl.  But  you  snuff,  do  you  not  ? 
No  ?"  He  sneezed,  and  several  "God  bless  yous,  and  w'dlbekom- 
mct"  at  once  were  earnestly  uttered,  to  which  he  bowed. 

"  Did  the  pastor  have  the  crown  put  up  ?"  I  inquired. 
"Ack! — no.  It  was  all  the  peasants,  it  is  their  Church,  you 
know.  But  there  is  a  beauty  for  you  !  Have  you  such 


SWEDISH    JURIES.  295 

women  in  America  ?"  A  light  graceful  figure — blonde  golden 
hair  wound  over  the  head — blue  eyes — features  very  regular 
— the  expression  so  animated  and  sweet,  and  the  manner 
singularly  kind  and  genial.  Her  dress,  a  white  full  dress,  as 

for  a  dance.     "  It  is  Frb'ken  C ."     I  told  my  companion 

I  found  the  Swedish  ladies  of  the  middle  classes,  as  if  some 
what  depressed  or  kept  in  the  background,  and  the  men  not 
especially  attentive  to  them.  "  You  have  right,"  said  he, 
"  it  is  so  too  much,  but  this  charming  creature  is  of  a  higher 
family.  There  again  ! — -there's  another  of  these  Bonder, 
you  have  such  an  interest  for — a  fine  manly  fellow.  He  is 
the  Namndeman." 

The  Ndmndeman  is  a  sort  of  a  juryman.  In  every  village, 
the  Courts  of  Justice  are  composed  of  a  Judge  and  twelve 
jurymen,  who  sit  at  each  session  of  the  court,  for  many 
years.*  The  Judge  always  determines  the  sentence,  unless 
the  jurymen  are  unanimous  against  him  ;  in  that  case,  they 
can  reverse  the  decision  of  the  court.  The  jurymen  are  not 
paid  :  it  is  a  public  duty  for  every  peasant.  No  other  class 
has  anything  to  do  with  it.  The  Courts  are  called  Ting — 
the  old  name  for  popular  assemblies,  one  meets  so  often  in 
the  sagas,  and  the  Scandinavian  history. 

I  was  sitting  by  the  pastor  afterwards  and  asked  him 


*  The  original  idea  of  this  Jury  seems  to  have  been  that  it  should 
represent  the  natural  equity  of  a  case  as  opposed  to  technical  law. 
"  Because,"  says  an  ancient  judge,  quoted  by  Geijer,  "  all  cases  which 
may  arise,  cannot  be  set  down  in  a  law-book,  but  where  no  written 
law  is  to  be  found,  men  must  borrow  their  decisions  from  that  natural 


296  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

if  he  had  ever  known  an  instance  of  the  jurymen  reversing 
the  sentence  of  the  judge.  "Oh,  yes  ;"  he  answered,  "there 

was  a   Ting  in  T village  lately  ;  a  criminal  case  came 

before  them.  The  judge  felt  himself  obliged  by  the  evi 
dence  to  decide  against  the  accused,  though  it  was  plain  he 
felt  that  he  was  innocent  ;  the  Namndeman  at  once  reversed 
the  decision.  Still,  they  are  very  often  a  stupid  set.  I  re 
member  hearing  of  a  Namndeman  in  P ,  who  went  home 

and  threw  himself  down  with  groans  on  his  bed,  "  Well, 
we  have  done  a  business  to-day  !"  "What  is  it  ?"  his  wife 
asked,  anxiously.  "  We  have  sentenced  so  and  so  to  be 
hung!"  "Ack  God!  and  what  for?"  "That's  what  I 
should  like  to  know  1"  he  answered,  groaning  terribly. 

Generally,  the  judge  does  everything,  and  they  only 
listen  ;  but  here's  the  Delegate  !  Here  1 — come  !  An 
American — let  me  introduce  you  !" 

The  Delegate  being  at  a  loss  for  conversation,  took  the 
opportunity  to  inquire  for  a  Herr  L.,  who  had  fled  to 
America  with  some  stolen  property.  "  You  have  very 
many  men  there  whom  we  are  glad  to  be  free  of !"  I  told 
him,  we  could  not  prevent,  of  course,  the  vagabonds  of 
Europe  from  taking  refuge  there  ;  and  then  passed  into 
conversation  with  some  others  standing  near.  The  man 
was  a  boor  by  nature,  evidently — and  all  the  Riksdagar 
could  not  cha.nge  him. 

law  which  God  hath  implanted  in  our  hearts  and  brains,  therefore  the 
law-book  saith  in  many  places  touching  doubtful  questions,  let  the 
jury  of  the  hundred  (or  naemdemen)  examine  this!" — (Geijer, 
p.  85.) 


VILLAGE    JUSTICE.  297 

I  was  next  presented  to  the  Namndeman — a  very  sensible 
man.  The  pastor  said,  "  You  take  an  interest  in  Swedish 
politics.  We  have  still  another  thing,  as  good  as  the  Ting, 
you  may  not  have  heard  of  it — our  By-ordning.  It  is  a 
sort  of  assembly,  chosen  by  the  peasants,  which  takes 
charge  of  the  moral  matters  of  the  village — a  sort  of  half- 
juridical  affair.  They  try  and  punish  for  petty  offences 
against  morality  and  law.  I  am  afraid,  we  shall  lose  it, 
though  ;  it  is  being  attempted  now  to  merge  it  into  the 
Courts.  Indeed,  it  has  no  legal  existence — but  there's  Lieu 
tenant  S .  I  must  meet  him  1" 

A  friend  has  since  given  me  an  instance  of  the  operation 
of  this  By-ordning,  somewhat  characteristic.  A  Dalecarlian 
maiden  returned  in  the  autumn  from  the  usual  summer's 
labor  in  the  Capital,  and  was  observed  to  have  a  gold  ring 
on  her  finger.  A  circumstance  so  remarkable  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  other  peasants  ;  she  was  questioned, 
and  replied  that  it  had  been  given  her  by  a  gentleman  with 
whom  she  was  working.  The  people  doubted,  and  finally 
she  was  brought  before  the  Town  Council,  which,  after  an 
examination,  decided  that  she  should  be  kept  confined  by 
her  father,  and  whipped  every  day  until  she  should  confess. 
The  father  carried  out  the  sentence,  and  at  length  she 
confessed  that  she  had  stolen  it  from  this  gentleman.  The 
ring  was  at  once  sent  back  to  the  owner,  with  the  message, 
that  the  girl  would  be  prosecuted  if  he  desired,  but  for  the 
good  fame  of  Dalecarlia,  they  hoped  he  would  drop  it, 
which  of  course  he  did. 

Punch  in  small  glasses  had  now  been  brought  in,  and 


298  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

the  pastor,  with  the  little  cup  in  his  hand,  stepped  out 
among  the  company,  called  for  silence,  and  said,  "  My 
friends  !  I  am  happy  to  offer  a  toast.  It  is  the  health  of 
the  two  brave  peasants  who  have  given  us  the  opportunity 
of  holding  this  feast  ;  we  all  saw  their  daring  on  Saturday. 

To  the  Bonder  V—  -  and  T ,  who  put  the  crown 

finally  on  the  tower  !  Sk&l  /" 

Every  one  went  forward  and  clinked  his  glass  with  those 
of  the  peasants,  saying,  Skal ! 

"  Prosten  likes  the  peasants,"  said  a  gentleman  near 
me,  "  and  they  like  him  !  Hear  him  ;  he  speaks  of  you  I" 
and  I  heard  him  telling,  in  his  hearty  tones,  the  different 
groups,  "Ha!  the  Amerikanare  called  the  meeting  storartaat 
(grand)  this  morning.  Ha  !  ha  1  It  is  only  a  spectacle 
to  him — and  a  grand  one  1" 

Another  toast.  "  My  friends,  I  have  another  health  for 
us  to  drink.  By  Providential  chance,  a  gentleman  is  pre 
sent  with  us  this  evening  from  a  distant  country — America. 
Sweden  and  the  New  World  are  widely  separated  by 
oceans,  and  they  have  different  forms  of  society,  but  they 
are  united  in  religion  and  in  political  liberty.  We  have 
shown  that  science,  and  arts,  and  freedom,  and  prosperity 
can  grow  under  a  Monarchy,  and  they  have  proved  it  equally 
under  a  Republic  !  I  propose  the  health  of  our  American 
friend.  May  he  have  from  God  a  prosperous  journey !  Skal  /" 

Next  the  healths  of  the  Delegate  and  Na'mndeman  were 
drunk,  then  of  the  ladies  and  of  various  gentlemen,  and 
now  began  the  dance.  The  great  saloon  shook  with  the 
tread  of  the  dancers.  The  waltz  was  the  favorite,  danced 


THE    FEAST.  299 

with  great  spirit  and  life.  The  Comminister  who  spoke  at 
the  grave,  and  led  the  communion  in  the  morning,  was  now 
moving  cheerily  among  the  waltzers,  though  I  think  not 
dancing  himself. 

After  the  dance,  some  songs  were  sung — mostly  from  the 
people's  melodies.  They  were  singularly  plaintive  and  wild. 
The  " Necken"  is  one  of  the  most  popular.  The  religious 
quartette  was  also  given  again.  At  ten,  we  all  went  over 
informally  to  the  house  on  the  other  side  of  the  square,  and 
found  a  large  table  prepared  in  one  saloon.  The  ladies 
helped  themselves  first,  and  then  the  gentlemen — afterwards 
separating  into  different  rooms. 

It  was  one  of  the  hearty  old  Scandinavian  feasts.  Dish 
after  dish  was  brought  in — meats,  puddings,  game,  pan 
cakes,  milk-soup,  salad,  grot  (or  rye  mush)  and  milk,  fish, 
cakes  and  creams  ;  and  everybody  fell  to  with  vigor. 
Nothing  was  drunk  at  the  meal,  except  the  unfailing  pre 
lude  of  a  glass  of  whisky,  until  -late,  when  tke  servants 
brought  in  a  great  silver  flagon,  with  curious  ornamenting, 
foaming  with  beer.  This  was  a  gift  from  a  former  parish  to 
our  pastor.  It  was  passed  around,  each  drinking  by  turn. 
At  twelve,  the  company  began  to  disperse,  the  hearty  old 
Prost  giving  his  vigorous  clasp  to  each  hand,  with  "  God 
Nalt!"  "Gads  frid  vare  med  eder  !  God  bless  thee  1" 
Warm-hearted  old  man  !  May  his  great  ruddy  face  still  be 
gleaming  friendlily  on  the  poor  and  rich  in  Dahlarna  ! 


300  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 


FAHLUN    AND    SOUTHERN    DALECARLIA. 

Our  journey  continued  the  next  day  towards  the  south. 
The  driver  was  the  owner  of  the  horses,  and  a  very  respect 
able-looking  squire.  The  country  along  the  road,  even  to 
the  Wester  Dal,  was  a  pleasant,  fertile  district,  and  he 
pointed  us  out  many  good  fields,  which  belonged  to  himself. 
The  crops,  as  usual,  were  rye,  oats,  potatoes,  and  grass.  We 
made  slow  progress,  owing  to  horses  not  being  ready  at  the 
post- stations,  and  did  not  reach  FAHLUN  till  five  o'clock. 
The  approach  was  through  a  desolate  country  filled  with 
slag,  and  breathing  out  sulphurous  smoke,  showing  the 
neighborhood  of  the  copper-mines,  which  stretch  for  miles 
under  ground.  The  first  streets  were  long  rows  of  little 
houses  for  the  miners'  families,  very  dirty  and  impudent 
little  children  playing  in  front — -justifying  the  popular  repu 
tation  of  Fahlun  for  a  wretched  population. 

The  town  was  filled  with  sulphurous  odors,  and  vegetation 
seemed  much  dwarfed  or  killed  through  the  whole  neighbor 
hood  by  the  works  in  the  mines. 


THE    MINES. 

We  first  went  to  the  edge  of  the  immense  excavation, 
where  a  great  slide  had  been,  throwing  open,  as  the  books 
say,  some  thousand  feet  of  the  mine.  TsTo  work  was  going 
on  in  this.  Our  guide  brought  us  dresses  and  old  hats,  to 
protect  from  the  drippings  of  the  mine,  and  we  commenced 


CoPPKR-MlNE.  301 

the  descent,  he  holding  a  lighted  torch,  made  of  small  pine 
links  bound  together  by  a  copper  ring. 

The  first  passage  was  simply  a  dark  stairway,  with  a 
banister.  After  fifty  or  sixty  fathoms  of  this,  we  began 
deep  descents  by  ladders,  down  through  one  dark  pit  after 
another,  then  into  galleries,  glittering  with  ore  under  the 
torch  and  dripping  with  moisture.  Our  guide  stopped  us 
occasionally,  to  take  us  to  the  edge  of  some  black  chasm, 
and  throw  off  fragments  of  the  burning  torch.  We  could 
see  the  pieces  flash  and  glimmer,  and  hear  their  fall,  at 
great  depths  below.  There  were  various  historical  cham 
bers,  too,  to  be  shown  :  "  Carl  Johan's,"  where  the  King 
and  Queen  had  a  brilliant  dinner,  and  where  his  autograph 
is  still  preserved  on  the  wall,  and  "  Prince  Oscar's,"  and 
others  of  older  date,  hollowed  out  of  the  solid  rock. 

We  descended  hundreds  of  fathoms,  and  followed  the 
gloomy  galleries  for  miles,  only  occasionally  seeing  torches 
and  meeting  the  solitary  inhabitants  of  these  dark  caverns — 
yet  we  did  not  traverse  a  twentieth  part  of  the  mine.  This 
mine  dates  far  back  in  its  history,  even  to  the  eleventh  cen 
tury.  Its  produce,  which  has  much  fallen  off  in  modern  times, 
in  1853,  was  4,277  skeppund,  or  about  1,710,000  pounds. 

There  is  a  mining-school  here,  where  engineering  and 
chemistry,  and  other  natural  sciences,  are  taught. 

It  is  thought  that  the  railroad  now  being  constructed 
between  Gefle  and  Fahlun,  will  be  of  great  advantage  to 
the  latter  place,  in  affording  a  more  convenient  transit  for 
the  metal  to  the  coast.  For  this  road,  the  company  bor 
rowed  of  the  State,  $400,000. 


302  THE    NOKSE    FOLK. 

The  population  of  Fahlun  in  1854  was  4,522 
As  we  were  in  a  hurry,  and  had  a  good  comfortable  travel 
ling-carriage,  we  pushed  on  the  same  night  towards  Sala, 
reaching  it  in  the  next  afternoon.  This  district  is  famous 
for  its  silver  mines,  of  which  we  visited  one,  about  a  mile 
southwest  of  the  city.  This  mine  dates  back  historically 
to  1187,  A.D.  Its  produce  in  1850,  was  3,835  marks. 
The  mining  population  seems  a  superior  one  to  that 
of  Fahlun.  The  whole  number  of  inhabitants  in  Sala,  is 
3,208.  Between  this  point  and  Westeras,  is  a  rich  farming 
country,  with  very  substantial  farm-houses.  Westeras  is  a 
well-built  town,  with  some  interesting  public  buildings,  and 
a  valuable  Library.  Population  in  1853,  4,02t. 

The  impressions  left  on  my  mind  by  this  tour  through 
Dalecarlia,  are,  that  in  no  country  of  Europe  can  a  peasan 
try  so  independent,  honest,  and  virtuous  be  found. 

This  cumbrous  Constitution,  though  blocking  now  every 
useful  reform,  has  at  least  preserved  the  peasant  in  his 
ancient  rights.  Having  his  own  House  of  Representatives, 
his  own  peculiar  privileges,  his  costume,  his  church,  and 
above  all,  his  local  self-government,  he  has  not  been  crushed 
by  the  superior  privileges  of  the  nobility,  or  humiliated  by 
mingling  with  classes  more  cultured  and  refined  than  his 
own.  He  is  proud  that  he  is  a  Bonde.  Each  man  has  an 
independent  bearing.  There  has  evidently  been  no  serfdom 
or  feudalism  here.  Yet  this  very  isolation  and  pride  of 
class  has  kept  the  Dalecarlians  ignorant  and  superstitious. 
The  country  needs,  what  all  Sweden  needs,  railroads  and 


DALECAKLIANS.  303 

schools.  Its  mineral  products  and  lumber  should  have  an 
easier  market,  and  the  ingenious  talents  of  the  people  be 
employed  on  more  profitable  manufactures  than  they  are 
now.  The  first  interest  for  this  province  is  Education.  Give 
such  an  intelligent  population  as  the  Dalecarlians,  good  com 
mon  schools,  and  they  will  be  able  to  accomplish  anything. 
There  is  excellent  stuff  in  the  character  of  the  people.  The 
country  is  the  New  England  of  Sweden.  As  in  all  Sweden, 
much  of  the  progress  of  the  people  will  depend  on  the 
clergymen.  This  body  has,  as  I  have  already  stated,  ail 
astonishing  power  in  this  remote  province.  If  they  were 
true  to  their  duties,  and  had  ideas  at  all  corresponding  to 
the  progress  of  the  age,  the  Swedish  peasantry  would  speedily 
be  in  a  very  different  condition.  We  believe,  however, 
that  more  is  being  done  for  genuine  improvement  in  Dale- 
caiiia,  than  in  any  other  rural  district  of  Sweden. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

VINGAKER. 

IN  the  central  part  of  Sweden,  near  Lake  Hjelmaren,  is  one 
of  the  characteristic  counties — Vingaker :  a  laud  of  lakes  and 
groves  and  rich  fields,  showing  some  of  the  best  agriculture 
in  North  Europe.  My  objects  here  led  me  more  among  the 
gentry  and  the  large  proprietors.  The  peasantry  yet  pre 
serve  the  national  costume  in  the  centre  of  the  country,  but 
they  are  by  no  means  so  independent  or  well-informed  as  the 
Dalecarlians  :  the  explanation  for  which  lies,  no  doubt,  in 
their  tenure  of  land,  and  their  relation  to  their  landlords,  as 
we  shall  hereafter  see.  I  attended  one  large  Church  at 
K ,  where  the  Bonders  were  all  dressed  like  a  respect 
able  farmers'  audience  at  home,  in  black  coats  with  gloves, 
though  the  women  had  white  head-tire  instead  of  bon 
nets. 


This  estate  lies  in  the  midst  of  a  pine  forest,  approached 
by  the  roughest  roads,  which  wind  around  among  pretty 
lakes  and  ponds.  The  first  indication  of  its  neighborhood 

804 


A    NOBLEMAN'S    ESTATE.  305 

was  given  by  some  cleared  ground,  and  a  neater  class  of 
peasants'  houses.  Then  came  a  Church,  sheltered  in  a  beech 
grove,  and  a  school,  and  then  an  avenue  under  old  trees. 
The  house  of  the  proprietor  was  a  long,  two-story  stone 
house,  painted  a  grave  color,  with  smaller  houses  on  each 
side  of  the  usual  square,  and  a  pretty  flower-plot  in  the  mid 
dle.  On  the  other  side  was  a  handsome  garden,  with  very 
rich  dahlias  and  brilliant  flowers,  laid  out  in  terraces  some 
what  formally  ;  beyond,  meadows  and  corn-fields  stretched 
out  to  the  edge  of  the  forest.  Again,  on  the  wings,  were  the 
conservatories  for  fruit,  and  the  stables  hidden  by  shrubbery; 
and  still  farther  on  could  be  seen  the  rich  masses  of  the  park 
trees.  A  liveried  servant  came  to  the  carriage,  and  took  in 
my  letter  and  a  card.  I  was  shown  into  a  saloon  hung  with 
old  portraits.  Almost  immediately  a  lady  entered,  who 
welcomed  me  in  French,  most  sweetly,  expressing  her  regret 
for  the  absence  of  her  husband.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
grace  and  simple-heartiness  of  her  manner.  She  led  me  to 
the  drawing-rooms,  and  entered  at  once  into  lively  conversa 
tion. 

The  family  is  one  of  the  old  historic  families  of  Sweden. 
Sir  C.  has  the  reputation  of  being  among  the  most  cultured 
public  men  of  the  day,  and  has  filled  many  offices  with 
honor 

Everything  in  the  house  and  surrounding,  showed  a 
much  higher  class  of  tastes  than  I  had  yet  seen  in  Sweden. 
The  furniture  was  not  costly,  but  the  walls  were  covered  with 
paintings,  which  any  royal  gallery  of  Europe  might  covet. 

In   the  drawing-room    where  I   sat   were  original    Cor- 


306  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

reggios,  Wouvermans,  Guides,  Claudes,  and  Salvator  Rosas. 
In  the  next  drawing-room  were  celebrated  modern  works  j 
and  in  the  billiard-room,  some  animal  pieces  from  Rubens. 
Exquisite  bits  of  statuary  from  Bissen  and  modern  sculptors, 
were  set  about  here  and  there  ;  and  in  one  saloon  was 
the  unfailing  ornament  of  rich  Swedish  houses,  the  cabi 
nets  with  curious  old  china.  The  library  was  a  gem,  such 
as  in  our  democratic  societies  an  individual  can  seldom 
possess — old  valued  Bibles,  travels  and  works  of  art  issued 
by  governments,  of  great  value  ;  books  of  costly  and  rare 
engravings,  and  works  on  philosophy  and  science  and 
history  in  all  modern  tongues,  were  in  the  collection,  the 
owner  speaking  with  fluency  nearly  all  the  European 
languages.  I  was  glad  to  see  that  the  best  of  American 
literature  was  there. 

I  asked  Lady  C.  if  the  ladies  read  much  of  our  authors. 
"  No,"  she  answered,  "  not  much — only  your  novelistes.  I 
am  so  glad,"  she  added,  "  that  those  detestable  French 
romans  are  no  more  the  mode.  We  get  now,  in  the  English 
and  American  writings,  all  the  amusement  we  sought  in  the 
French,  with  a  healthy  moral  tone.  I  remember  when  I  was 
young,  nothing  was  read  but  French,  but  now  I  dread  to 
put  a  French  author  of  light  literature  in  my  daughter's 
hands.  The  German  is  not  much  read,  except  by  the 
scholars.  We  find  their  romances  very  enniw/antes." 

I  inquired,  what  American  authors  were  most  read. 
"  Madame  Stowe,  of  course,  first  ;  then  much  now  that 
authoress  of  stories — I  forget  her  name — Wide  World  and 
Queechy.  You  know  we  have  now  Danish  translations  of 


CHATTING.  307 

all  these,  and  of  M.  Emerson  and  Hawthorne.  Ah  !  what 
a  sombre  genie  is  that  man — do  you  know  him  ?  Your  poet, 
too.  who  has  translated  Tegner — Longfellow." 

I  told  her  that  we  had  other  translations  now  of  Tegner 
—of  his  FrithioPs  Saga,  which  was  greatly  admired.  She 
seemed  much  interested,  but  said  "  I  have  not  seen  the 
translation  :  still  it  is  not  possible  to  translate  that.  You 
must  lose  the  fine  quality." 

According  to  the  universal  Swedish  custom  in  the  upper 
classes,  fruit  is  brought  into  the  drawing-room  about  six 
o'clock — grapes,  peaches,  and  apricots  from  the  conservato 
ries — and  then  a  cup  of  tea.  The  party  was  a  most  inter 
esting  one,  as  we  sat  in  the  twilight — Lady  X.,  whose 
face  still  shows,  under  traces  of  many  sorrows,  the  noble 
beauty  for  which  she  is  distinguished  ;  several  spirited 
young  ladies,  and  some  fresh,  active-looking  young  gentle 
men,  who  have  had,  evidently,  a  thorough  manly  education. 

Something  in  Lady  X.'s  feeling  gave  a  sober  tone  to  the 
conversation.  The  ladies  spoke  of  the  position  of  the 
Swedish  woman  in  society,  and  how  little  she  exerts  the 
influence  which  belongs  to  her.  "  We  learn  from  Mam'lle 
Bremer  what  your  ladies,  Monsieur  B.,  do  in  America.  But 
here  very  few  feel  the  responsibility.  We  are  content  to 
enjoy  ourselves,  and  to  be  admired.  Yet,  mon  Dieu  !  what 
multitudes  of  poor  people  are  around  us  !  Frederika  Bre 
mer  has  truly  labored  to  give  occupation  to  our  ladies,  and 
I  hope  she  may  succeed  I" 

I  asked  if  they  had  all  read  her  Travels  in  America. 
"  Oh,  yes,"  the  young  ladies  answered  in  English  ;  "  but 


308  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

tell  us,  be  there  so  many  wonderful  people  in  America  ? 
Every  one  seems  a  hero  to  her  to  be  !" 

"  It's  horribly  dull,"  muttered  one  of  the  young  men.  "I 
never  could  read  it  I" 

*  *  *  "Have  you  remarked  the  similarites  between 
our  languages  ?"  said  one  of  the  ladies,  "  especially  in  the 
Scotch  !" 

"  He  must  call  for  the  cork-screw  in  the  next  hotel,"  said 
one  of  the  young  men,  alluding  to  the  phrase,  "  Give  me 
the  cork-screw"  ("  Gif  mig  kork  skrufven"),  a  well-known 
common  phrase  to  Swedish  and  English.  We  then  recalled 
the  common  words:  "Bra'hus"  (bra  hus),  "reek"  (rok), 
"timber"  (timmer)  ;  "  Come,  let  us  go  !"  (Kom  fat  oss  ga), 
"potatoes"  (potatis),  "speer  (ask)"  (spira),  "room"  (rum), 
and  numbers  of  others. 

I  asked  about  the  Danish  and  Norwegian — whether  they 
understood  or  spoke  these. 

"No,"  said  they;  "we  speak  them  not  often,  because 
the  Danes  and  Norrmans  (Norwegians)  comprehend  us  and 
we  comprehend  them,  when  we  converse." 

The  conversation  turned  on  the  Danish  literature,  and 
the  celebrated  Reformer,  Kirkengaard.  "That  is  a  spirit 
noble  and  pure,"  said  Lady  X.  "  Perhaps  he  went  too  far 
in  condemning  all  the  church,  because  his  branch  was  life 
less,  but  he  had  the  true  fire  within  him.  I  think  he  has 
done  us  much  good  in  Sweden." 

"  Still,  mother,  was  he  not  too  extreme  ?" 

"Yes,  he  was  ;  but  the  sins  of  his  church  drove  him  to  it. 
But,  Monsieur  B.,  shall  we  not  have  a  little  music  ?" 


CONVERSATIONS.  309 

Some  beautiful  national  songs  were  sung,  and  exquisite 
pieces  played  from  the  German  classical  music.  During  the 
playing,  the  physician  of  the  family  estate  came  in,  and  the 
Superintendent  of  the  Forests,  both  residing  on  the  property. 

We  conversed  together  of  the  mode  adopted  by  Baron 
X.  in  cultivating  his  estate.  It  appears  that  he  has  put  the 
cultivation,  as  much  as  possible,  in  the  hands  of  his  tenants, 
not  attempting  himself  much  of  the  labor  of  agriculture. 
"  You  must  know,"  said  one  of  the  young  gentlemen,  speak 
ing  in  German,  "  the  Baron  has  given  up  for  ever  his  jus 
patronatum — that  is,  the  peasants  can  choose  their  own  cler 
gyman  now.  Before,  he  was  the  patron,  and  had  the  sole 
power.  You  saw  the  church  and  school,  as  you  entered  the 
avenue.  He  built  both  ;  but  he  thinks  it  better  for  the  pea 
sants  to  have  this  right  of  election,  and  thus  far  we  have 
had  no  trouble.  Leider !  (alas  !)  it  is  not  always  so  1" 

I  asked  about  the  transmission  of  the  estate.  "S y 

is  a  fidd  commiss,"  he  replied  ;  "  but  that  you  may  not 
understand.  Y"ou  have  a  word — ja  das  ist-es — primogeni 
ture — the  oldest  son  must  have  it  all,  and  so  keep  the 
property  together."  I  asked,  if  he  was  obliged  to  support 
the  other  brothers  and  sisters.  They  answered  that  he  was 
not ;  but  still  the  usual  custom  required  that  he  should  give 
assistance  to  the  poorer  members  of  the  family,  and  beside, 
the  father  commonly  bequeathed  his  personal  property  to 
the  other  children.  The  law  gives  a  peculiar  authority  and 
privilege  to  the  eldest  son  ;  and  it  struck  me  often  that  the 
son  assumes  something  of  a  paternal  or  authoritative  rela 
tion  to  his  brothers  and  sisters.  These  gentlemen  talking 


310  THE    .NORSE -FOLK. 

with  me  were  all  noblemen,  but  their  views  on  the  Constitu 
tion  I  found  more  liberal  than  those  of  the  peasants.  They 
were  in  favor  of  widening  the  suffrage,  and  of  lessening  the 
privileges  of  the  elder  branches  of  the  noble  families.  "We 
find  it  absurd,  Herr  B.,"  said  even  the  young  .heir  himself 
of  this  estate,  "that  the  caput  families  (the  eldest  son) 
should  alone  have  the  right  of  sitting  in  the  Riks  stand. 
He  may  be  a  stupid  dolt,  or  he  may  not  have  the  leisure, 
and  tnen  he  must  give  or  sell  his  seat. 

"  Many  of  us  are  in  favor  of  doing  away  with  the  whole 
cursed  system  of  the  Four  Houses,  and  having  a  simple 
Parliament  of  Two  Houses.  It  takes  an  age  for  any  liberal 
bill  to  get  through.  The  parsons  like  one  thing,  and  the 
Bonders  another,  and  the  citizens  and  nobles  are  against 
them  both  perhaps.  The  conservatives  with  us  are  the  pea 
sants  and  the  clergy.  Those  parsons  lead  the  Bonders  by 
the  nose.  We  might  have  had  good  railroads  and  schools 
years  ago,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  verfluchte  (cursed)  stu 
pidity  of  those  Bauer  1  Sacra-ment !  it  makes  one  groan  !" 

I  mentioned  the  instance  of  Capt.  B.,  who  owned  a  fine 
estate,  and  yet  had  no  vote. 

"  Ja  wohl ! — there  it  is  !  Such  a  wretched  arrangement  I 
The  men  of  property  and  intelligence  shut  out,  and  the 
clod-breakers  voting  1  There  ought  to  be  a  law  admitting 
all  to  suffrage,  in  some  one  class,  who  own  land.  It  is  just 
as  stupid  in  the  cities.  There  is  Doctor  S.  and  Prof.  N., 
you  know  them — they  cannot  vote,  because  they  are  not 
Burgers  (citizens  or  members  of  a  guild).  J3ien ! — it  is  a 
slow  world  here  1" 


QUIET.  311 

"  Pardon,  Messieurs  !  Souper !"  said  Lady  X.,  taking  my 
arm,  as  the  servant  opened  the  doors.  The  customs  here 
were  much  the  same  as  in  other  classes,  except  that  the 
meal  was  simpler.  Bread  and  butter,  glasses  of  milk  and 
pan-cakes,  were  the  whole,  we  helping  ourselves  generally, 
without  aid  from  the  servants.  Every  body  was  in  high 
spirits,  and  much  fun  was  going  on. 

The  most  remarkable  thing  to  an  American  was,  the  evi 
dent  contrast  between  the  ladies  of  the  party  and  the  ladies 
one  meets  generally  in  the  middle  classes.  A  certain  expec 
tation  or  graceful  habit  of  receiving  little  attentions,  as  if 
their  position  to  the  other  sex  were  long  secured  ;  and  a 
style  of  information  and  conversation,  even  if  not  indicating 
talent,  yet  showing  an  habituation  to  world-subjects — these 
were  the  distinguishing  qualities,  and  which  at  once  brought 
me  back  to  our  intelligent  American  society.  This  contrast 
in  Swedish  society,  is  by  no  means  so  apparent  between  the 
men  ;  indeed,  the  gentlemen  of  the  middle  classes  are  supe 
rior  to  any  in  the  kingdom  in  thorough  education,  and  quite 
equal  in  refined  habits.  I  was  impressed  here  with  the  influ 
ence  of  quiet.  This  gem  of  a  home,  placed  in  the  midst  of 
forests  and  mountains,  containing  in  itself  the  influences 
which  educate  and  ennoble,  had  shed  a  certain  light  of  peace 
and  repose  on  its  inmates.  There  was  no  vulgar  strain 
after  effect,  or  restlessness,  or  hankering  for  the  excitements 
of  cities,  but  that  species  of  calmness  which  arises  from  long 
habituation  to  nature  and  to  a  residence  in  the  same  home. 
It  may  have  been  fancy,  but  these  seemed  to  me  the  excel 
ling  traits  over  our  American  homes.  Afterwards,  in  a, 


312  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

walk  in  the  park  with  one  of  the  ladies,  I  spoke  of  this,  and 
asked  what  they  did  in  the  winter  ;  whether  they  ever  found 
it  dull.  "  No  never,"  she  said.  "  We  ride  in  slada — what 
call  you  it  ? — sleighs,  and  we  have  little  dance  amid  the 
neighbors — you  know  there  are  some  neighbors,  and  we  read 
and  talk  much,  arid  sew,  and  have  musique  every  evening. 
Then  we  do  go  sometime  to  Stockholm,  but  I  am  fatigued  of 
it.  There  we  dance  every  night,  and  go  to  Court,  and  to 
suppers  and  balls,  and  I  am  glad  when  it  is  over.  We  go 
not  again  soon." 

"  Yes  :  you  have  reason.  There  is  nothing  like  the  old 
home.  I  know  every  old  tree  here,  and  the  lake  there,  and 
the  walks,  ever  since  I  can  remember  I  was  here  ;  and  there 
are  the  same  peoples,  the  servants  and  gardeners,  and  my 
dog  and  my  pony  are  almost  so  old  as  I.  Yes — I  do  hope  I 
will  never  leave  it  1" 

The  hours  for  retiring  seem  very  early  in  Sweden,  at 
least  in  country-houses  ;  we  have  supper  usually  at  eight, 
and  bid  good  night  at  nine.  Then  with  breakfast  at  half- 
past  eight  or  nine,  there  is  a  long  night  for  all.  These  suf 
ficient  rests  in  their  chambers  must  add  much  to  this  effect 
of  repose  on  the  character.  My  fancy  impressed  this  all 
abundantly  on  me,  and  the  long  calm  line  of  historic  faces 
which  looked  on  me  in  the  neighboring  chamber,  as  I  entered 
mine,  did  not  lessen  it.  They  seemed  to  say,  "  No  vulgar 
activities,  no  modern  restlessnesses  here  1  They  do  not  enter. 
Be  calm  1  You  are  in  the  shadow  of  the  Past !" 

And  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  sunk  in  the  comfortable 


THE    WATCH-SONG.  313 

bed,  the  musical  voice  of  the  night-watchman,  who  patrols 
the  estate,  seemed  to  strengthen  the  security. 

"  Gud  bevare  vart 
Hus  och  land 
Fran  eld  och  brand  ! 
Klockan  elfva  slagenl" 

"  God  keep 
Both  house  and  land 
From  ill  and  brand ! 
Eleven  o'clock 
ID  striking !" 


14 


CHAPTER    XXYI. 

THE     MANORS     OF     SWEDEN. 

THERE  is  something  impressive  in  all  the  northern  nations, 
in  their  respectful  salutations  morning  and  evening  ;  the 
"Good  night!"  "May  you  sleep  well!"  or  "Good  morn 
ing  I"  and  the  almost  anxious  inquiries,  "  Have  you  slept 
well  ?'; — forms  which  every  one  makes  a  religious  duty  to 
observe.  The  "  God  bless  you  I"  when  you  sneeze,  is  a  part 
of  the  same.  This  is  a  healthy  race  and  it  makes  much  of 
the  body  :  these  formalities  come  from  times  when  there 
was  truly  a  terror  by  night,  and  to  see  the  morning  safely 
was  something  for  gratitude.  Then,  as  Emerson  says,  each 
one  coines  to  the  others  every  morning,  as  a  "new  stranger 
from  a  distant  clime  :"  that  is,  without  straining  the  impulse, 
there  is  an  element  of  genuine  Courtesy  in  these  trivialities 
— a  coming  out  of  one's  personality  to  recognize  the  person 
ality  of  another.  And  it  is  just  such  petty  habits  that  tend 
to  cultivate  one  part  of  politeness  ;  they  aim  to  guard  and  to 
respect  personality.  The  higher  part — of  self-sacrifice, — 
these  are  merely  a  path  towards. 

Our  breakfast  again  was  a  cheerful,  pleasant  meal — very 
much  like  an  English  breakfast,  with  tea,  coffee  and  cold 

314 


A    COUNTRY    SQUIRE.  315 

meats  ;  our  hostess  showing  us  the  same  peculiarly  kind 
courtesy  as  before.     Liveried  servants  were  in  waiting. 

Afterwards  we  walked  out  in  the  park,  which  was  a  pic 
turesque  grove  of  old  trees,  with  a  lake,  but  not  well  kept. 
The  whole  estate  consists  of  about  20,000  Tunland  (about 
15,000  acres)  much  of  it  in  forest. 


My  hostess  kindly  forwarded  me  in  her  own  travelling 
carriage  to  her  neighbor,  Herr  T.,  to  whom  I  had  letters. 
His  position,  again,  is  peculiar  to  such  a  country  as  Sweden. 
A  large  proprietor,  on  an  estate  which  he  and  his  fathers 
have  occupied  for  generations — a  gentleman,  much  travelled, 
speaking  many  languages,  yet  an  alien  still  in  political 
rights.  The  property  was  a  beautiful  one,  much  more  so 
than  those  of  the  nobility  ;  placed  on  the  banks  of  a  large 
lake,  with  groves  on  each  side,  and  terraces  of  beautiful 
flowers  and  shrubbery  running  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
It  is  wonderful  how  the  dahlias  grow  here — such  pure  rich 
colors  I  never  saw  on  them  in  America. 

The  approach  to  the  house  was  through  a  fine  avenue  of 
beeches  and  oaks.  The  house  was  in  the  usual  style — of 
two  stories,  with  a  great  number  of  rooms,  opening  into 
each  other  on  the  ground  floor.  The  furniture,  very  rich, 
with  a  few  paintings — no  carpets,  and  the  flooring,  parquette. 
The  windows  had  a  beautiful  outlook  over  the  lake. 

Herr  T.  showed  me  over  the  property.  In  one  part  was 
a  school  which  he  had  founded,  as  the  other  proprietors  have 
•lone.  The  peasants'  houses  seemed  very  comfortable — bet- 


316  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

ter  than  those  in  Dalecarlia.  T.  says  that  the  people  are 
now  in  process  of  transition  from  Bauer  to  gentlemen,  and 
they  feel  very  self-important. 

In  the  garden,  I  noticed  an  old  scraggy  oak,  much  decayed, 
and  said  something  of  it 

"  Ach  !"  said  he  in  German,  "  there  is  a  story  about  that. 
It  is  a  habitation-tree*  I  can't  get  it  cut  down  1" 

"So  !     How  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  There  has  been  a  long  time  a  superstition  about  that 
tree  among  the  Bauer,  that  whoever  should  cut  it  down  or 
injure  it,  should  certainly  suffer  harm — I  suppose  from  the 
Troll  or  fairies.  When  I  came  into  the  property,  after  my 
father's  death,  I  ordered  the  tree  to  be  cut  down,  as  it  is  in 
the  way  of  my  garden,  and  looks,  as  you  see,  rather  unsightly. 
But  no  one  would  do  it.  I  tried  one  and  another,  and  at 
last  a  young  Bauer  attempted  it.  He  worked  awhile  one 
day,  and  the  next  day  fell  sick.  I  induced  another,  and 
after  a  little,  he  became  ill  and  finally  died.  The  rumor 
was  spread  through  the  whole  country,  and  I  was  much 
blamed  by  the  Bonders — so  that  finally  I  gave  it  up — and 
there  you  see  the  tree  !  The  Bauer  find  the  fairy-ringsf 
LLOW  on  the  grass  often  1" 

*  The  habitation-tree  (botrad),  in  the  heathen  times  of  Scandina 
via,  was  thought  to  be  inhabited  by  a  certain  elf,  who  would  protect 
it  and  reward  those  who  took  care  of  it. 

f  Luxuriant  grass  made  by  the  dancing  of  the  elves — the  cynosurus 
cceruleus.  Hear  Olaus  Magnus  on  this : 

"  OF    THE    NIGHT    DANCES    OF    THE    FAIRIES    AND    GHOSTS. 

"  Also  travellers  in  the  night,  and  such  as  watch  their  flocks  and 


CASTE.  317 

I  told  him  I  wished  we  had  such  tree-fairies  in  America. 
They  would  find  most  humble  worshippers  there. 

*  *  *  *  I  made  some  inquiries  and  remarks  about 
his  political  position.  "  Yes,  that  is  true,"  he  said.  "  In 
that  sense,  I  am  not  a  citizen.  The  Bauer,  whose  cabins 
you  saw,  can  vote,  but  I  cannot.  You  know  why.  I  am 
not  of  noble  birth — at  least  Swedish,  and  I  am  not  a  Bauer. 
It  makes  little  difference  to  me,  though.  I  have  my  own 
affairs,  and  do  not  care  for  politics." 

"  Why  not  be  a  Bauer  ?"  I  said. 

"  Gott  bewahr !  No  ;  it  would  be  disagreeable  to  them 
and  to  me."  I  wondered  the  country  had  not  demanded  a 
change.  "Ja!  wir  sind  langsam!  We  are  slow — slow, 
here  !  It  must  be  changed,  though,  before  many  years." 

In  the  evening,  I  was  presented  to  the  ladies.  The  cur- 
herds  are  wont  to  be  compassed  about  with  many  strange  apparitions 
As  King  Hotherus  (so  Saxo  reports)  following  three  nymphs  to  their 
caves,  obtained  a  girdle  of  victory  from  them :  yet  sometimes  they 
make  so  great  and  deep  impression  into  the  earth,  that  the  place  they 
are  used  to,  being  only  burnt  round  with  extream  heat,  no  grass  will 
grow  up  there.  The  inhabitants  call  this  night-sport  of  these  mons 
ters,  the  dance  of-  fayries ;  of  which  they  hold  this  opinion,  that  the 
souls  of  those  men  that  give  themselves  to  corporeal  pleasures  and 
make  themselves,  as  it  were,  slaves  unto  them,  and  obey  the  force  of 
their  lusts,  violating  the  laws  of  God  and  men,  when  they  are  out  of 
their  bodies,  and  wander  about  the  earth.  In  the  number  whereof 
they  think  those  men  to  be,  who  even  in  these  our  days,  are  wont  to 
come  to  help  them,  to  labour  in  the  night,  and  to  dress  horses  and 
cattle  ;•  as  I  shall  sho'w  hereafter  in  this  very  book,  concerning  the 
ministry  of  the  devils." 


318  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

rent  language  was  French — as  is  usual,  a  French  gouver- 
nanter  residing  in  the  family,  though  there  were  no  children. 
In  inquiring  about  the  pastors,  and  their  relation  to  the 
people,  I  found  the  same  feeling  which  seems  almost  uni 
versal  through  the  middle  and  upper  classes — of  utter  dis 
trust  and  dissatisfaction  towards  their  religious  teachers. 
They  spoke  highly  of  a  gentleman  (Captain  H.),  who  had 
been  building  a  little  Chapel  for  his  workmen,  and  laboring 
among  the  Lasarne.  "  He  may  be  a  fanatic,  but  he  is 
sincere,  Monsieur  !  But  these  men — they  have  no  belief ! 
It  is  an  affair  of  the  pocket.  Look  at  Doctor  S.,  at  N. 
He  is  known  for  an  Infidel,  and  says  openly,  the  Bible  is 
a  myth,  but  still  preaches  and  gets  his  tithes.  Our  pastor 
here,  is  nothing  but  a  very  genial  gentleman.  He  has  his 
12,000  riks  ($3,000)  a  year,  and  that  is  all  he  cares  about. 
He  knows  no  more  of  the  spiritual  matters  of  his  people,  than 
if  he  were  a  thousand  miles  away.  There  is  a  droll  story 
between  him  and  the  peasants  lately — they  bear  him  little 
love,  you  understand.  He  demanded  of  the  Socken-stamma 
double  windows  for  winter,  in  his  parsonage.  They  refused 
to  supply  them.  He  argued  and  threatened,  and  at  last 
had  to  get  them  himself — at  the  same  time  saying,  that 
when  he  went  away,  he  should  take  them  with  him.  They 
replied,  that  there  would  be  no  need  ;  for  when  he  went, 
he  would  go  where  there  would  be  no  necessity  for  double 
windows  ! — implying  they  should  never  get  rid  of  him  till 
he  went  to  a  rather  warm  place  !" 

*     *     *     *     I  Was  installed  at  night  in  a  very  com 
fortable  guest-house,  and  the  next  morning  was  driven  over 


CASTLE  S.  319 

by  the  gentleman  himself,  with  a  handsome  pair  of  horses, 
to  Count  B.  of  S.  Castle.  We  stopped  on  our  way  to  see 
a  clergyman,  to  whom  I  had  a  letter — Dr.  X.  He  speaks 
English  perfectly — a  most  jovial,  sociable  gentleman.  He 
is  said  to  be  very  old,  but  springs  about  like  a  young  man — 
attributes  it  all  to  his  "never  having  had  any  regular 
habits  !" — called  his  vicar  "  the  old  man,"  though  he  is 
ten  years  younger  than  himself.  He  took  us  to  his  Church, 
one  of  the  famous  churches  of  Vingaker,  having  an  assem 
bly  often  of  three  thousand  people.  There  was  a  catechi- 
sation  going  on  of  school-children,  in  the  vestry-room — 
the  same  dull,  mechanical  teaching  of  so-called  "  Religion," 
which  one  finds  everywhere  in  Sweden.  Dr.  X.  is  some 
thing  of  a  scholar,  and  is  still  engaged  in  literary  works  ; 
he  gave  me  a  new  derivation  of  "  Viking." 

****** 

Castle  S.  is  famous  through  Sweden,  and  I  only  in 
tended  visiting  it,  as  one  of  the  public  sights,  as  I  had 
no  letter  to  the  Count  and  I  thought  my  friend  would  not 
be  on  such  terms  with  him,  as  to  introduce  me  familiarly. 
But  to  my  surprise  instead  of  delivering  us  up  to  a  ser 
vant,  the  Countess  herself,  with  the  most  simple  and  sweet 
courtesy,  showed  us  slowly  through  the  apartments  where 
the  pictures  were.  A  most  choice  collection,  gems  of  art 
and  historic  association.  Rembrandt,  Claude,  Lely,  Dorne- 
nichino,  Guido,  Correggio,  Salvator  Rosa,  with  fresh  modern 
works  from  Swedish  artists.  The  common  drawing-rooms 
and  saloons  for  the  family  were  set  with  these  beautiful 
adornments — works  whose  feeling  and  beauty  must  grow 


320  THE    JSToRSE-FoLK. 

in  impression  on  one,  as  do  glimpses  at  home  of  exquisite 
aspects  of  nature,  seen  day  by  day.  Each  room  had  a 
little  catalogue  of  the  paintings.  We  visited  beside  the 
conservatories  and  orangery,  and  finally  the  great  library. 
The  Countess  courteously  invited  and  even  pressed  us  to 
dinner,  which  we  declined.  The  library  must  be  one  of 
the  richest  private  collections  in  North  Europe.  It  seems 
in  bad  order  just  now,  though  the  Count  has  a  scientific 
librarian  constantly  employed.  After  much  searching  we 
found  one  of  the  books  I  was  in  quest  of — the  first  Bible 
(probably)  printed  in  Sweden,  bearing  date  "  Upsala, 
1541."  There  were  some  splendid  collections  of  engravings 
and  travels — the  "  Voyage  to  Iceland  and  Scandinavia," 
in  which  M.  Marinier  took  part,  issued  by  the  French 
Government.  I  think  the  large  editions  of  Huniboldt's 
Travels  were  there,  and  other  works  of  the  kind,  which 
usually  only  National  Libraries  can  possess.  If  any  con 
noisseur  in  sketches  should  visit  Sweden,  he  should  certainly 
inquire  for  the  "  Techningar  om  Asarna,  by  Wahlbom" 
(1834.)  They  show  great  power. 

I  found  a  fair  representation  of  American  Literature — 
among  others,  Hildreth's  History.  I  made  out,  at  the 
Count's  request,  a  brief  list  of  our  best  late  works  in  his 
tory  and  politics,  for  the  new  additions  to  his  shelves.  So 
much  time  was  spent  over  this  rare  collection,  that  we 
accepted  per  force  the  cordial  invitation  to  dine. 

I  was  shown  to  one  of  the  state  bedrooms  to  dress. 
Each  room  is  numbered  011  the  door.  The  style  of  furniture 
is  almost  palatial.  The  dinner  was  more  like  our  city  din- 


ART    OF    DINING.  321 

ners  of  style,  than  any  I  have  yet  seen.  It  is  the  only  table 
in  Sweden  where  I  have  observed  more  than  two  kinds  of 
wine.  The  table  was  beautifully  decorated  with  flowers  and 
fruit.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  old  Scandinavian  custom  of 
the  whisky  and  bread  and  butter  and  cheese  first — the 
ladies  being  helped  before  the  gentlemen.  Even  the  chil 
dren  had  their  slices  :  though  very  few  took  the  whisky. 
There  was  no  other  company  present — a  family  party,  with 
the  teachers,  governesses  and  physician  only.  Three  ser 
vants  were  in  waiting.  The  lady  helped  the  soup,  and  the 
servants  carved  the  meat,  and  then  a  platter  with  slices, 
after  the  German  style,  was  handed  to  each  person.  This 
is  certainly  the  true  mode  for  a  dinner-party.  It  is  remark 
able  how  much  better  all  the  Europeans  understand  this  art 
of  eating  and  dining,  than  we  do.  One  is  often  at  home  so 
bored  with  questions  of,  ''Is  your  meat  right  ?"  "Will  you 
have  it  well  done  ?"  "  Will  you  have  celery  ?"  etc.,  etc.,  that 
all  conversation  is  blocked.  You  want  good  eating,  but 
you  want  it  as  it  were  unconsciously — as  a  side-dish — an 
entremet  to  the  conversation.  The  intercourse  is  the  first 
thing  ;  all  else  is  subservient  to  it.  Whatever  turns  away 
from  free,  easy  conversation,  is  a  defect  in  your  dinner, 
and  of  course  bad  cookery  or  unsavory  viands  do  that. 
They  distract  you,  disagree  with  you  and  annoy  your  host 
ess.  First,  good  nourishing  dishes,  well  cooked — which 
means  always  simply  cooked  ;  then  easy  attendance,  like 
this  Swedish  mode,  which  does  not  interfere  with  your  talk; 
and — assuming,  of  course,  that  you  have  an  intelligent  com 
pany — you  have  the  components  of  a  dinner-party. 

14* 


322  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

There  seems  to  be  no  toasting  in  the  Swedish  parties, 
such  as  I  saw  in  Norway.  Indeed,  I  never  saw  wine-tables 
where  so  little  is  drank.  The  most  seem  only  to  sip.  Some 
times  the  host  asks  to  drink  with  a  guest,  but  the  latter  is 
not  obliged,  as  he  was  ten  years  ago,  to  empty  his  glass. 
At  the  close,  the  host  fills  his  glass,  looks  around,  and  the 
others  who  choose,  fill  theirs,  and  with  a  bow  to  him  drink 
or  touch  their  lips,  and  rise.  The  company  stand  a  moment 
with  folded  hands,  and  then  each  takes  his  lady  back  to  the 
drawing-room.  There  the  guests  bow  and  shake  hands  with 
the  hostess,  thanking  her  for  her  hospitality.  Coifee  is 
always  served  after  dinner. 

In  our  conversations,  we  spoke  of  the  clergy,  and  I  found 
the  same  serious  dissatisfaction  with  them  here  as  every 
where.  The  Count  thought  that  the  support  of  the  clergy 
man  should  come  from  the  State,  and  then  he  would  not  be 
falling  into  these  eternal  bickerings  with  his  people  for  every 
dollar  of  his  stipend.  It  appears,  he  is  entitled  to  certain 
pro  rata  portions  of  the  produce  of  his  parishioners,  and 
also  expects  gifts  to  a  large  amount ;  so  that,  from  this 
man  he  claims  his  one-tenth  of  corn,  from  that  his  one-six 
teenth  of  barley,  from  another  his  two  chickens  or  leg  of 
mutton,  or  eggs,  or  flax.  Where  there  is  love  to  the  pastor, 
these  all  come  in  gladly  and  easily  ;  but  where  there  is  not, 
he  must  be  continually  on  the  lookout,  lest  he  lose  some 
thing.  When  a  poor  creature  comes,  inquiring  what  he 
shall  do  to  be  saved,  his  first  thought  may  be,  "  You  owe 
me  seven  bushels  of  rye  1"  or,  "  Have  you  paid  in  your  pro- 


LlFELESSNESS     OF     CHUKCH.  323 

portion  of  mutton  yet  ?"  and  he  must  follow  up  each  of  these 
little  perquisites,  or  he  will  lose  the  major  part  of  his  salary. 
"  Monsieur  B.,"  said  the  Count,  in  French,  very  gravely, 
"  il  y  a  un  soif  dans  Us  COBUTS  du  peuple — there  is  a  thirst  iu 
the  hearts  of  the  people  for  true  Religion,  and  they  cannot 
satisfy  it  with  such  teachers.  The  holy  office  becomes  a 
means  of  support  only  ;  and  the  preachers  are  rendered 
covetous  and  greedy.  We  need  a  different  mode  of  collect 
ing  their  salary,  and  a  different  relation  between  the  people 
and  the  pastor."  The  lady,  too,  with  fewer  words,  expressed 
even  deeper  discontent  at  the  state  of  the  Church.  I  did 
not  agree  with  their  remedy,  but  did  not  discuss  it.  They 
spoke  with  much  appreciation  of  the  gentleman  whom  I  was 
hoping  soon  to  visit — Captain  H.  "He  may  be  a  Method 
ist  (La'sare),"  said  the  Count,  "but  he  is  a  true  Christian." 

The  estates  of  this  family  contain  their  tens  of  thousands 
of  tenants.  Countess  B.  had  the  sense  which  a  true  noble 
woman  should  have,  of  her  responsibility  for  the  poor  and 
ignorant  under  her  control.  I  described  to  her  the  plan  of 
our  Industrial  Schools  in  New  York,  and  I  think  she  saw 
that  some  such  thing  was  necessary  among  the  poorest  pea 
santry  here. 

The  parting  with  us  was  peculiarly  graceful  and  kind. 
We  drove  to  the  estate  of  a  gentleman  to  whom  I  had  a 
letter,  a  man  who  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  modern 
history  of  Sweden. 


324  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 


COL.    A JS    ESTATE. 

It  is  a  quaint  old  place,  on  a  property  which  indefatigable 
agriculture,  under-draining,  clearing  woods  and  careful  sow 
ing  of  crops  have  redeemed  from  the  pine  forest  and  swamp. 
The  barns,  with  high  peaked  gables,  were  even  more  con 
spicuous  than  the  house.  This  was  long  and  low,  and  near 
it  were  some  fine  old  trees.  We  entered  an  octagonal  room 
hung  full  with  pictures. 

The  Colonel  was  a  dignified  old  gentleman,  who  received 
us  with  great  hospitality — like  many  of  the  public  men  in 
this  country,  a  man  of  various  accomplishments.  I  have 
already  visited  a  number  of  gentlemen,  prominent  in  political 
life,  who  sketch  and  draw  with  talent — some  of  whose  works 
are  engraved,  and  command  a  good  price.  At  Baron  V.'s, 
I  found  the  whole  early  history  of  Sweden,  illustrated  by 
his  own  hand,  and  already  lithographed  ;  the  Sagas,  too, 
had  been  represented  by  him,  with  great  boldness  and  talent. 

Such  accomplishments,  when  one  considers  what  those 
men  have  done,  show  a  higher  style  of  public  men  than  one 
usually  finds  in  America,  or  even  in  England. 

Col.  A.  had  a  prominent  part  in  the  Revolution  which 
overthrew  the  king,  Gustavus  IV.  Adolphus 

The  Colonel  again  had  some  beautiful  works  of  art — of 
great  value.  It  is  a  wonder  how  these  collections  have  been 
made  in  Sweden.  Except  in  Vienna  or  Italy,  there  can  be 
few  collections  more  valuable  in  Europe. 


THE    ESTATE.  325 

My  host  showed  me  over  his  property  ;  the  barns  were 
large  and  well  kept,  but  with  nothing  peculiar  in  the  ar 
rangements,  except  the  great  furnace  under  one  for  drying 
the  grain.  His  crops  are  mainly  wheat,  rye,  oats  and  grass, 
with  large  fields  of  turnips  for  cattle.  In  his  stables,  were 
some  very  fine  Normandy  horses,  pure  white,  of  large  heavy 
frames.  The  prices,  I  think,  were  not  very  high  for  these  ; 
If  I  understood  aright,  not  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  for  a  gelding  of  first  quality.  There  were  some  other 
horses  of 'English  blood.  Each  horse  had  a  separate  little 
enclosure  with  a  lock. 

We  found  again  a  school  and  church,  built  by  the  land 
lord,  for  his  tenantry. 

I  regretted  extremely  that  my  limited  time  kept  me  from 
making  the  nearer  acquaintance  of  this  gentleman.  He  im 
pressed  me  as  a  true,  modest,  noble-spirited  man,  with  whom 
only  to  meet,  is  something  to  be  gratefully  remembered. 


CHAPTER    XXVII, 

THE     COUNTRY    GENTRY. 

L . — At  this  estate  was  a  school,  which  I  had  greatly 

desired  to  visit,  and  as  the  proprietor  was  a  remarkably  in 
telligent  gentleman,  I  spent  a  part  of  a  day  there  very 
agreeably.  Capt.  H.,  again,  is  one  of  the  non-voting  pro 
prietors,  though  very  rich,  and  having  a  thousand  tenants 
on  his  estate.  The  property  is  a  beautiful  one,  far  better 
kept,  and  with  more  natural  advantages  than  the  estates  of 
the  nobles,  near  by.  The  avenue  was  through  rocks  and  old 
oaks.  The  houses,  built  in  the  usual  form,  low,  and  very 
neatly  painted  and  begirt  with  flowers,  were  on  the  banks 
of  a  pretty  lake ;  a  rich,  terraced  flower-garden  was  in  front. 
The  saloons  and  the  furniture  seemed  very  costly  and  rich, 
though  but  few  paintings  were  on  the  walls.  As  I  saw  in 
this  case  but  little  of  my  host's  interior  arrangements,  I 
may  take  the  liberty  to  speak  here  of  the  astonishing  back 
wardness  of  the  Swedes  in  practical  conveniences. 

There  is  hardly  a  house,  palace,  or  cottage  in  all  Sweden, 
with  a  bed-room  bell,  or  a  bath-room,  or  an  outside  bell,  or 
speaking-tubes,  or  dumb-waiters,  or  any  of  the  little  modern 
labor-saving  contrivances  in  American  houses.  If  you  go  to 
a  friend's  house,  you  pull  about  the  handle  of  the  door, 

326 


HOUSE-KEEPING.  327 

stumble  in  the  hall,  as  hall-lights  are  equally  discarded — 
rap  your  knuckles  sore,  and  often  at  last  go  away,  utterly 
baffled  at  arousing  any  one.  In  your  own  bed-room,  you 
must  often  shout  out  of  your  window,  to  call  any  servant. 
If  there  is  a  bell  in  the  hall,  it  communicates  usually  with 
the  court-yard,  and  awakes  the  whole  family  and  all  the  dogs 
of  the  neighborhood,  if  you  ring  it  rashly.  It  excited  great 
surprise  when  I  said,  that  our  city-houses  in  America,  and 
the  best  in  the  country,  had  now  as  a  mecessity,  their  one 
or  two  bath-rooms,  and  hot  and  cold  water  in  every  bed 
chamber.  There  are,  at  the  present  time,  in  Sweden,  only 
four,  o^spossibly  Jive  cities  which  burn  gas — Gottenburg, 
Stockholm,  Orebro,  Norrkoping,  and  I  thfh'k  Lund.  Hardly 
one  has  good  side-walks,  and  a  day  spent  on  foot  in  the 
streets  is  really  torturing.  The  principal  conveniences,  as 
compared  with  those  in  American  houses,  are  in  the  warm 
ing  apparatus,  which  consists  universally  of  a  large  brick 
stove,  prettily  covered  with  white  porcelain.  This,  with 
little  fuel,  gives  out  a  mild,  equable  heat  when  closed  for  the 
whole  day,  or  open  makes  a  cheerful  fire,  like  the  old- 
fasLioned  fire-side  ;  and  however  used,  produces  an  infinitely 
better  atmosphere  than  our  furnaces,  with  their  blasts  of 
fiery  air,  destructive  to  brain  and  lungs. 

There  is  also  in  the  Swedish  kitchens,  a  kind  of  roof  over 
the  range  or  stove,  such  as  I  have  described  in  Norway, 
which  carries  off  the  odors  and  fume,  so  that  one  is  not  at 
once,  on  entering  a  friend's  house,  saluted  with  the  exact 
components  of  the  dinner,  as  in  some  of  our  houses  at  home. 

Our  host,  Capt.  U.,  walked  about  with  me  over  his  estate. 


328  THE    No  BSE- FOLK. 

He  has  an  extensive  farm,  with  the  usual  crops.  The  barns 
were  very  large,  with  some  fine  cattle  in  the  stables.  Hear 
ing  me  express  an  interest  in  the  different  costumes  of  the 
peasants,  he  said  to  one  of  his  workmen,  who  was  in  the 
cattle-yard — "  Hey  !  Gustav,  bring  up  three  or  four  Bonders 
in  wedding-dresses,  to-morrow  morning  to  the  Hall,  at  seven 
o'clock.  An  American  gentleman  wants  to  see  them  1" 
The  man  looked  puzzled,  but  took  off  his  hat  and  said  he 
would.  We  walked  on  to  the  park  ;  on  the  way,  a  peasant 
was  about  to  drive  from  a  cross-road  over  our  path.  It 
would  just  have  been  quite  as  convenient  for  us  to  wait  for 
him,  but  my  companion  shouted  sternly,  "  Thou  ! — hey  1 
Stop  there  !" — and  the  man  stopped  submissively,  though 
sulkily.  We  were  evidently  not  in  Dalecarlia.  "  You  have 
no  idea,  Herr  B.,  of  the  Dummheit  (stupidity)  of  these  boors" 
said  the  Captain,  in  German.  "  I  have  tried  to  do  some 
thing  for  their  education,  and  I  think  I  succeed,  but  it  is 
slow  work." 

"  Are  there  many  free-holders  among  them,  Captain  ?"  I 
asked.  "  No,"  said  he,  "  the  most  belong  to  the  land,  and 
pay  their  rent  in  labor  or  in  produce." 

"  You  do  not  mean  that  they  are  serfs,"  said  I. 

"Adi  win!"  he  answered,  "there  are  no  Leibeigene  (serfs) 
in  Sweden — but  these  men,  or  rather  their  fathers,  have,  as 
it  were,  bought  their  lands  on  a  perpetual  rent.  They  are 
owners,  as  long  as  they  pay  their  yearly  Abgale  (tax),  but 
if  they  fail  to  do  that,  the  land  falls  back  to  me.  I  have 
some  FrW.se  (regular  tenants)  beside,  who  have  hired  their 
land  of  me,  and  pay  annual  rents." 


CLASSES    OF    PEASANTS.  329 


BONDERS. 

It  will  be  in  place  liere,  to  mention  distinctly  the  different 
classes  of  peasants  or  Bonders.  It  should  be  remembered 
that,  as  in  Norway,  there  was  strictly  no  feudal  system  in 
Sweden.  At  the  end  of  the  tenth  century,  Sweden  appeared 
like  a  union  of  various  confederations  of  freehold  peasants 
under  a  nominal  king  at  Upsala.  The  first  confederation 
being  of  a  hundred  families  or  haerads  ;  then  of  several 
haerads,  making  up  lands  or  provinces  ;  and  finally  of  the 
provinces  or  nations  to  form  a  kingdom.  The  first  Bonders 
were  all  owners  of  the  soil,  with  certain  obligations  to  the 
king  :  but  gradually  some  of  the  weaker  began  to  come 
under  the  power  of  the  stronger,  and  free-holders  became 
tenants.  Then  the  large  estates  of  the  leaders  and  nobles 
were  let  out  on  a  long  lease  to  their  followers  ;  or  the  pro 
perty  of  the  crown  was  farmed  by  peasants  who  had  been 
faithful  to  the  king  ;  so  that  at  length,  three  very  distinct 
classes  of  Bonders  began  to  show  themselves,  along  with 
smaller  subdivisious. 

First,  The  Skatte  or  free-holders,  owners  of  their  lands. 

Second,  The  Fralse  Skatte,  or  Bonders  who  have  bought 
their  properties  of  the  owners,  but  who  pay  for  them  in  an 
annual  tax — holding  them  under  a  kind  of  perpetual  lease. 

Third,  Fralse,  or  mere  tenants,  who  pay  for  their  farms 
annual  rent  of  labor,  produce,  or  money. 

There  are,  besides,  Torpare,  or  Bonders,  who  rent  small 
pieces  of  land  from  other  Bonders,  and  pay  by  labor  ;  and 


330  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

there  were  formerly  .Ho/era-Bonders,  who  were  bound  by 
law  to  give  so  much  labor  to  the  estate,  and  who  were 
exposed  to  much  cruelty. 

I  asked  the  captain,  in  our  conversation,  if  it  was  not 
generally  true  that  the  tenant-Bonders  were  much  inferior 
to  those  who  owned  their  properties.  He  thought  that 
they  were.  "The  tendency  among  the  Bonders  everywhere 
now,  is  to  own  their  farms.  In  many  cases,  large  properties 
of  the  nobility  have  been  bought  up  by  the  peasants.  And 
as  no  new  fidei  commiss*  (entailed  properties)  can  be  formed 
since  the.  law  of  1810,  the  large  estates  dwindle  away.  We 
do  not  find  the  small  properties  owned  by  the  cultivators  so 
good  for  the  great  improvements  in  agriculture,"  he  added, 
"  but  they  certainly  make  a  better  class  of  people — such  as 
those  you  saw  in  Dalecarlia." 

I  asked  how  the  nobility  bore  these  encroachments  of  the 
peasants. 

"It  is  something  disagreeable,"  he  answered,  " but  they 
can  not  help  it.  There  is  Baron  P, — a  gentleman  I  know, 
whose  whole  property  of  some  thousands  of  acres  is  being 
bought  up  by  the  Bonders — and  what  is  more,  they  get 
Frahe  Hemman  by  this  (i.  e.,  estates  freed  from  the  old  mili 
tary  taxes).  You  know,  since  1809,  any  one,  noble  or  not, 
can  own  such  tax-free  properties,  if  he  can  buy  them.  So 
you  see,  we  are  equalizing  ;  but  I  am  sorry  to  say,  these 
Bonders  become  cursed  aristocrats,  and  without  the  Bildung 
(culture)  of  the  nobles.  But  here  we  are  in  the  park  !" 

Our  walk  had  brought  us  to  a  stately  grove,  of  consider- 


A    NEW    SCHOOL.  331 

able  extent,  laid  out  on  the  banks  of  the  lake,  with  walks, 
and  arbors  and  boat-houses. 

We  spoke  of  his  school  for  the  peasants.  "  The  truth  is 
Herr  13.,"  he  said,  "  I  was  driven  into  that  school  by  the 
stupidity  of  the  clergy.  We  had  too  much  catechism  in  the 
schools  !" 

I  told  him,  my  own  observations  confirmed  what  he  said. 
Everywhere  I  found  a  mechanical  drilling  in  the  words  of 
theology  and  certain  dry  facts  of  Biblical  or  Jewish  history 
— and  this  was  dignified  with  the  name  of  "  teaching 
religion/'  though  it  evidently  had  no  more  connection  with 
religion  than  with  topography.  Religion  was  never  taught 
in  such  memorizing,  technical  lessons — and  indeed,  I  believed 
even  the  immortal  freshness  of  those  divine  narratives  might 
be  dulled  and  begrimed  to  a  child's  mind,  who  was  forever 
conning  and  repeating  them,  as  laborious  parts  of  a  school 
exercise. 

"I  have  opened  a  school,"  he  said,  "where  some  prac 
tical  lessons  shall  take  the  place  of  a  part  of  this  learning 
and  repeating  the  Catechism.  I  felt  that  for  the  Bonder's 
child,  one  of  the  first  things  is  to  have  some  good  means 
of  support  for  the  future.  I  have  introduced,  accordingly, 
trades  ;  cabinet-making,  carpentry,  and  such  things,  and 
have  them  regularly  taught.  You  shall  seesome  of  the  spe 
cimens,  presently.  The  children  do  them  wonderfully  well." 
"Do  you  not  meet  with  much  opposition  from  the  clergy  ?" 
I  asked. 

He  replied  that  he  did  ;  "some  cried  "  Infidel  !"  still  he 
was  determined  to  carry  the  thing  through.     If  the  people 


332  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

were  ever  to  be  enlightened,  the  schools  must  be  a  little 
more  in  harmony  with  the  times.  The  priests  seemed. to 
think  nothing  was  for  a  moment  to  be  compared  in  impor 
tance  with  their  catechisations. 

I  told  him,  that  we  in  America  believed  the  main  religious 
instruction  must  be  given  in  the  family,  or  in  Sunday 
Schools,  and  not  in  day-schools.  We  spoke  then  of  books. 
I  said  that  I  thought  one  of  the  worst  indications  of  the 
intelligence  of  the  Bonders,  and  the  greatest  obstacle  to 
their  improvement,  was  the  want  of  books  among  them. 
I  had  been  in  many  Bonders'  cottages,  and  had  scarcely  ever 
seen  any  book  but  the  Bible,  or  occasionally  a  volume  of 
sermons,  and  the  people  seemed  to  have  very  little  taste 
for  reading.  I  had  thought  of  one  plan,  to  publish  a  weekly 
edition,  for  instance,  of  the  Aftonbladet  of  Stockholm,  which 
should  have  well-arranged  information,  and  should  be  sold 
cheap,  and  try  to  scatter  it  among  the  great  masses  of  the 
peasantry. 

"You  have  touched  precisely  on  what  I  have  been  so 
long  laboring  at  I"  he  answered.  "  Adi!  it  is  hard  to  cause 
these  people  to  read  !  I  have  bought  the  '  people's  books ' 
which  we  publish  in  this  country,  but  they  cannot  read 
them  !  They  are  too  high  above  them  I  Then  I  tried 
histories,  and  I  found  that  some,  especially  about  Swedish 
battles,  they  would  read,  but  not  many.  Then  I  got  this 
'  Reading  Magazine  for  the  People,'  which  you  will  see 
in  my  office.  That  they  sometimes  can  understand." 

"  Will  they  not  read  Miss  Bremer  ?" 

"  No.     She  is  not  easy  enough.     Your  English   books 


LIBRARIES    FOR    PEOPLE.  333 

are  much  better  suited  for  us,  if  they  were  only  translated. 
Something  strong  or  imaginative,  but  very  simple,  would 
be  the  thing." 

"  Are  there  not  authors  who  write  for  the  people  ?" 

"Jol  (yes,)  but  they  fly  too  high.  You  know  that 
gentlemen  instructed  in  Education  are  trying  in  Stockholm 
to  get  up  such  books,  and  they  have  a  plan  to  collect 
libraries  there,  which  they  will  distribute  in  the  various 
parishes  needing  them.  Gott  sei  Dank  !  that  something  is 
being  attempted.  And  the  armen  Kerle  (poor  fellows)  are 
truly  eager  to  read  good  books.  I  have  opened  a  library 
here,  and  all  the  simple  practical  books,  travels  and  such 
like  are  continually  taken  out.  Your  plan  is  a  good  one 
about  the  weekly  paper,  if  it  could  be  once  well-started  ; 
still  it  must  have  pictures.  But.  here  we  are  at  the  house  1 
I  will  send  for  the  models  our  boys  have  made." 

After  a  short  time,  the  servants  brought  up  some  baskets, 
with  wooden  models  of  ploughs  and  harrows,  etc.,  and 
with  little  horse-shoes  and  basket-work,  which  they  had 
manufactured.  This  industrial  feature  in  the  common  school, 
ho  said,  was  quite  new  in  Sweden. 

In  the  house,  afterwards,  we  met  a  very  lively  party — 
the  family — tutor,  and  some  ladies,  with  a  few  gentlemen 
from  the  neighborhood. 

There  was  some  talk  about  driving  me  over  the  next  day 
to  a  nobleman's  residence,  to  whom  I  had  letters  of  intro 
duction.  My  host  was  engaged,  and  the  question  was  whe 
ther  some  of  the  others  would  go.  They  were  unwilling, 
and  it  was  finally  arranged  that  I  should  go  by  myself. 


334:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

"  Frankly  we  must  tell  you,"  said  one  of  the  gentlemen  to 
me,  "  we  have  nothing  to  do  with  Count  W.  We  are  inde 
pendent  men,  and  we  will  never  associate  where  we  are 
looked  upon  as  inferior.  He  is  a  great  Lord,  and  we  are 
nothing  ;  but  we  have  our  own  place  and  we  are  content 
with  it,  and  we  will  not  invade  his,  nor  he  ours."  *  *  * 

It  is  an  incredibly  agreeable  thing  to  an  American  in 
Europe,  that  he  can  utterly  ignore  the  distinctions  of 
society.  If  he  has  education  and  the  refinement  of  gentle 
men,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  his  associating  on  an  equal 
ity  with  princes  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  he  may  have  social 
chats  at  peasants'  firesides  and  count  any  worthy  man  of 
any  class  his  friend.  He  has  no  fixed  position  ;  no  title  to 
herald  him  (if  he  be  not  by  wonderful  chance  Colonel  or 
Major-Geiieral)  ;  no  weight  of  aristocracy  above  him,  or 
immeasurable  distance  below  him.  If  he  be  a  gentleman 
and  make  no  claims,  passing  himself  simply  for  what  he  is, 
he  will  be  so  received  by  all  classes  and  his  position  in 
European  society  will  be  the  most  sensible  and  agreeable 
than  can  be  imagined  in  this  conventional  age. 
*  .  *  *  *  *  *  * 

I  was  curious  to  know  whether  these  gentlemen  felt  the 
anomaly  of  their  Constitution,  which  prevented  them  from 
voting.  They  spoke  of  its  absurdity  and  injustice,  but  I 
think  they  cared  very  little  for  the  loss. 

I  found  them  much  interested  in  our  tremendous  struggle 
in  America.  They  could  not  doubt  of  the  victory  of  the 
Free  Party.  "  Your  country  marches  on,  sir,"  said  one,  "it 
must  finally  free  itself  from  this  disgrace  and  clog.  But  it 


MARRIAGE-DRESS.  335 

is  a  fearful  question.  We  are  watching  you."  Much  more 
was  said,  showing  the  intense  sympathy  and  anxiety  with 
which  the  Europeans  regard  our  struggles. 

Our  conversation  lasted  till  a'  late  hour,  when  I  was 
shown  to  the  guest-house,  where  a  bright  fire  was  lit  in  my 
room,  though  it  was  only  the  beginning  of  September.  In 
the  morning,  the  servant  who  brought  my  coffee,  announced 
that  the  "  Bonders  had  come."  I  hastened  out  to  the  other 
house,  and  there,  in  one  of  the  drawing-rooms,  the  four 
peasants  in  wedding  costume  were  standing  sheepishly  to  be 
looked  at.  The  costume  was  highly-colored  and  pictur 
esque,  with  many  peculiarities  borrowed  from  the  modern 
Greeks,  our  host  said.  The  women  had  red  and  white 
head-dresses,  reddish  bodices  with  white  skirts  and  half- 
mantles  ;  the  men,  white  coats  with  embroidery  and  gilt 
upon  them,  belts  about  their  waists,  and,  I  think,  leather 
trowsers,  ornamented. 

What  struck  me  more  than  the  dress,  was  the  evident 
position  or  relation  of  these  people.  They  were  Bonders, 
but  a  very  different  class  from  the  Bonders  of  the  North. 
No  reward  could  have  made  a  Dalkarl  exhibit  himself  and 
his  wife  thus  at  the  word  of  command.  But  this  gentle 
man  had  "  bestdlt  en  fiondquinna"  (ordered  a  peasant)  at 
a  certain  hour,  as  we  would  a  horse.  The  difference  lies 
mainly  in  the  different  effects  of  freehold  property  and 
tenant  property  on  a  poor  class. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

OREBRO,  AND  A  MODEL  FARM. 

I  SPENT  but  a  short  time  at  Orebro  ;  the  inn  being  the 
worst  I  had  found  in  Sweden.  My  room  was  a  kind  of 
ante-room  to  another  chamber,  where  slept  two  travellers, 
and  was  also  peculiarly  frequented  by  fleas. 

The  new  parts  of  the  town  have  a  pleasant  appearance, 
and  have  been  built  since  a  fire  a  few  years  ago,  which 
destroyed  about  one  third  of  the  place.  The  Parliament 
loaned  the  corporation  215,000  riks  dollars  to  assist  in 
rebuilding  the  city.  It  is  a  town  of  some  manufacturing 
importance,  containing  twenty  factories.  A  telegraph  con 
nects  it  with  Stockholm,  and  a  small  railroad  is  being  built 
between  it  and  Hult.  Population  in  1850,  5,H7. 

From  this  point,  I  set  out  to  reach  the  place  of  Cap 
tain  H.,  of  whom  I  had  heard  so  frequently,  both  for  his 
skillful  agriculture  and  his  enthusiastic  labors  among  the 
peasantry. 

To  reach  his  estate,  I  had  a  slight  experience  of  Swedish 
means  of  communication.  In  Orebro,  no  travelling  vehicle 
was  to  be  hired  or  borrowed,  though  it  is  a  town  of  some 
five  thousand  inhabitants,  so  I  was  seated  in  a  little  spring- 


MODEL    FARM.  337 

less  cart — like  the  rag  and  bone  carts  of  New  York — and 
with  a  little  post-boy  by  my  side,  began  the  journey. 
The  road  was  a  much  travelled  highway,  but  no  public 
vehicles  ever  cross  it — indeed  I  believe  there  are  but  two 
or  three  lines  of  stage  coaches  in  Sweden — and  with  delays 
for  horses,  we  were  six  hours  accomplishing  the  eighteen  miles 

The  entrance  to  the  property  was  through  a  pine  wood, 
little  improved  by  art,  but  forming  for  nearly  a  mile  a  very 
picturesque  approach.  The  house  was  on  a  little  knoll,  hid 
den  by  trees,  and  we  wound  through  a  handsome  avenue  of 
beeches,  passing  a  grass-grown  ruined  gable  (the  remains 
of  a  monastery)  before  we  reached  it.  It  was  a  plain, 
sensible  building,  of  two  stories  neatly  painted,  with  a 
flower  plot  between  it  and  "  the  guest-house  "  on  the  other 
side  of  the  usual  square.  The  barns  and  out-houses  were 
concealed  (contrary  to  the  usual  custom)  from  the  buildings, 
by  shrubbery.  The  view  from  one  side  of  the  square,  was 
of  an  English  landscape — a  lawn,  another  avenue  of  trees, 
a  building  among  the  trees,  and  below  without  separation 
by  fence  or  hedge,  beautifully-rolling  grain-fields  as  far  as 
the  eye  reached. 

This  farm  had,  like  those  in  Norway,  the  picturesque 
little  bell-tower  on  one  of  the  buildings  ;  a  thing  which 
should  be  imitated  by  otfr  American  farmers  of  taste. 

The  host  met  me  with  great  cordiality,  on  learning  my  ob 
jects.  I  found  him  a  cultivated  gentleman,  speaking  several 
languages.  After  some  conversation  on  his  peculiar  efforts 
for  the  peasantry,  he  took  me  over  the  farm.  It  is  a  truly 

model  farm,   such   as   is   hardly  to  be  seen  elsewhere  in 

15 


338  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

Sweden.  It  covers  about  2,300  acres — much  of  it,  when 
the  present  owner  took  it,  marsh-land  and  uncultivated. 
Now  he  has  it  thorough-drained,  by  tile  and  stone-drains. 
One  hundred  and  ninety  acres  are  in  wheat,  thick,  full 
grain,  of  a  quality  which  last  year  gave  Captain  H.  a  first 
prize  in  the  Paris  exhibition.  The  yield,  if  our  reckonings 
of  Swedish  and  English  measures  were  correct,  was  about 
thirty-two  bushels  per  acre,  weighing  sixty-four  and  a  half 
pounds  per  bushel.  There  were  other  immense  fields  of 
turnips  of  the  best  quality,  and  of  oats,  clover  and  grass. 
All  were  bounded  by  ditches, — hedges,  as  he  explained, 
collecting  the  snow  and  killing  the  neighboring  plants  in  the 
spring.  For  a  similar  reason  he  had  adopted  the  English 
division  of  "  lands  "—now  I  believe  beginning  to  be  aban 
doned  in  the  Scotch  farming — in  order  to  drain  the  snow 
water  from  the  surface.  He  took  me  to  see  his  new  Eng 
lish  drilling  machine  (Garrett's),  worked  with  a  pair  of 
horses  by  three  men.  In  another  part  of  the  field,  Scotch 
harrows  of  a  new  construction  were  at  work,  and  in.  still 
another,  the  best  Scotch  plows.  A  number  of  women  were 
also  employed  in  breaking  clods.  In  the  barns  was  a  large 
threshing  machine,  driven  by  four  pairs  of  oxen,  with  con 
necting  pulleys  for  even  draught  ;  Scotch  winnowing  ma 
chines  and  horse-rakes  were  also  employed.  Reaping  ma 
chines  he  greatly  needs,  but  the  difficulty  thus  far  has  been 
that  the  wheat  is  often  so  much  laid  and  tangled  under 
the  rains  that  no  machines  he  has  seen  are  fully  adapted 
for  it.  There  is  no  country  where  quick  reaping  is  so  impor 
tant  as  in  Sweden,  for  the  weather  is  very  uncertain,  and 


THE   CATTLE.  339 

the  summer  short.  (We  have  frosts  now  every  night,  though 
August  has  a  week  yet  to  run.)  In  his  barns,  he  pointed 
out  as  an  experiment,  which  was  quite  strange  in  Sweden 
— the  use  of  shingles  instead  of  thatch  or  slates  on  the  roof ! 

The  stables  were  built  on  the  latest  approved  plan,  with 
drains  for  urine,  stone  troughs  for  water,  and  apertures  from 
the  hay-loft  above,  and  a  little  contrivance  of  his  own,  to 
keep  the  cattle  from  drawing  their  food  under  their  feet. 
There  were  stalls  for  100  cows.  These  were  feeding  between 
two  fields  of  oats,  with  nothing  to  keep  them  from  the  crops 
but  a  cowherd  with  a  little  white,  snarly  dog.  Capt.  H. 
assured  me,  that  this  dog  could  drive  the  hundred  cows  in  a 
lane  not  ten  feet  broad,  right  through  grain  fields,  without 
their  doing  th»  least  injury.  It  was  certainly  the  most 
beautiful  herd  of  cattle  I  ever  saw — all  Ayrshire  cows  of  the 
first  quality,  not  very  large,  but  so  tight-skinned,  small- 
headed,  with  straight  back,  muscular  fore-quarters  and  full 
dew-laps.  Many  were  mottled  with  white. 

Twenty  are  owned  by  the  government ;  which  intrusts  them 
to  this  gentleman  for  the  sake  of  improving  the  breed  in 
Sweden.  All  he  is  obliged  to  pay  as  rent  is  the  price  of  one 
bull-calf  a  year.  Two-year  old  heifers  he  sells  for  about 
$111;  bulls  for  $200.  The  butter  and  cheese  he  sells  in 
Stockholm. 

-s. 

In  the  horse-stables  we  saw  some  noble  white  Normandy 
horses,  the  same  breed  which  the  old  knights  favored,  and 
which  Wouvermann  so  often  paints — a  ponderous,  strong 
breed^  and  with  them  a  few  Norwegian  horses. 

The  wages  of  his  laborers  he  thinks  now  high,  in  proper- 


340  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

tion  to  the  cost  of  living  ;  yet  he  pays  only  an  average  of 
16  cents  a  day,  and  food.  It  was  formerly  12  cents.  His 
cowherd — a  very  valuable  man — gets  $25  a  year  and  board 
The  whole  number  of  men  employed  is  between  80  and  90. 
Several  of  his  workmen  are  soldiers — (he  himself  was  an 
officer, )  and  he  related  to  me  many  interesting  facts  of  these 
men,  which  I  will  mention  afterwards,  in  connection  with  his 
more  important  works.  The  grooms  in  his  stables  were  also 
some  of  them  old  cavalry  soldiers. 

He  considers  his  experiment  in  "  high  farming  "  thoroughly 
successful.  The  peasants  laughed  at  it  at  first,  but  they 
are  glad  now  to  imitate  it  where  they  can.  His  property, 
which  he  bought  for  about  $25,000,  he  holds  now  worth  at 
$100,000.  I  have  no  doubt,  he  has  given  an  impetus  to  the 
agricultural  improvement  of  all  Sweden.  Such  men  are  public 
blessings  of  such  a  country  as  this.  This  gentleman,  again, 
with  all  his  interests  in  the  country,  has  no  vote  and  no 
share  in  the  political  affairs  !  He  does  not  belong  to  any 
one  of  the  four  classes  I 

His  efforts  in  another  direction  beside  agriculture  are 
equally  remarkable.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  education  and 
of  fortune,  but  has  had  the  courage  to  leave  his  old  associa 
tions  and  to  violate  public  propriety  under  the  impulse  of 
his  conscience.  He  is  a  Lasare,*  or  "  Reader,"  which,  to 
most  Swedish  ears,  has  a  sound  as  horrible  as  "  Socinian," 
or  "  Shaker,"  to  most  American. 

*  As  a  sect,  the  Lasare  may  be  said  to  date  back  to  the  middle  of 

• 

the  last  century. 


"THE   READERS." 

In  the  beginning  of  our  walk  over  his  fine  property,  I  had 
observed  a  very  plain  wooden  building  among  the  old  trees: 
so  exceedingly  bare  and  simple  that  I  remarked  it,  and 
wondered  that  he  did  not  break  the  outline  at  least,  by 
some  cupola  or  bell-tower.  "That  is  my  chapel,"  he 
remarked,  "  and  I  am  obliged  to  make  it  as  unlike  the 
churches  as  possible,  in  order  to  avoid  any  trouble  from  the 
clergy."  Here,  every  Sunday  afternoon,  when  the  church 
service  was  not  held,  he  assembled  the  country  people,  sim 
ply  to  hear  the  Bible  read  and  explained.  One  old  woman 
walked  thirty-one  miles,  the  men  fifty  and  even  sixty  miles 
to  attend  this  service,  where  the  only  exercises  besides  were 
singing  and  a  prayer.  He  had  commenced  first  with  daily 
prayers  among  his  house  people  and  workmen,  who  num 
bered  about  sixty,  then  went  on  to  Sunday  services,  and 
now  every  Sabbath  afternoon  for  two  or  three  hours,  nearly 
a  thousand  of  the  poor  peasants  were  present,  listening  most 
eagerly.  As  I  went  around  among  his  fields,  he  pointed  me 
out  one  and  another,  whom  he  thought  greatly  changed  in 
life  since  this  began.  "You  see  that  tall  man  there, 
driving  the  machine — he  is  a  soldier — I  knew  him  when  I 
was  in  the  army — a  violent,  cursing  fellow.  He  is  so  differ 
ent  now — I  really  believe  the  truth  has  taken  root  in  his 
heart. 

"  There's  another — the  man  hoeing.  He  was  greatly 
given  to  brandy  and  other  vices.  He  came  of  his  own 
accord  to  the  '  reading/  and  one  day  I  took  occasion  to 
speak  of  the  sin  of  taking  the  communion-supper  in  the 
church,  merely  because  of  the  law,  when  the  heart  was  full 


342  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

of  evil.  The  Spirit  seemed  to  bring  it  home  to  this  man, 
and  he  was  deeply  affected,  and  now  he  is  known  as  an 
outwardly  good  man.  I  believe  he  has  the  true  Life  in 
him." 

I  asked  Ca.pt.  H.  how  he  was  induced  to  begin  this,  ll 
is  not  proper  to  state  all  the  causes  which  led  him  to  these 
works,  but  the  principal  were  those  which,  in  every  country, 
cause  the  human  heart  to  feel  the  deep  things  of  life — pri 
vate  sorrows.  He  was  besides  staggered  and  discouraged, 
as  a  master  of  a  household,  by  the  general  licentiousness  of 
his  servants  and  of  the  country  peasantry.  The  usual 
moral  motives  and  influences  seemed  mere  straws  against 
the  currents  of  passion  and  habit.  The  Church  did  nothing. 
His  pastor  was  a  very  kind,  jovial  country  gentleman.  But 
with  ten  thousand  riks  dollars  a  year,  a  good  farm,  and 
placed  for  life,  how  was  it  to  be  expected  he  should  make 
himself  uncomfortable,  with  such  questions  from  poor  lust- 
beset  peasants,  as,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  or, 
"  Who  will  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ?" 

Probably,  kind  man  !  he  gave  the  fellow  a  glass  of  beer, 
and  told  him  to  come  and  repeat  the  catechism  at  the  next 
church-examination. 

The  Captain's  earnestness,  and  an  impression  with  the 
peasants  that  he  really  believes  what  he  says,  has  probably 
taken  the  place  of  much  theological  training.  However 
that  be,  they  come,  and  from  great  distances,  to  the  unpre 
tending  service,  and  he  thinks  they  show  good  practical 
effects. 

The  whole  thing  has  made  a  great  sensation  in  the  conn 


REMONSTRANCES.  343 

try.  The  clergy  oppose  it  bitterly.  It  is  opening  the  flood 
gates  to  dissent.  Substantial  squires  laugh  at  a  gentleman's 
turning  Methodist  ! — and  building  his  own  chapel.  The 
bishop  has  visited  him  and  investigated  the  matter  ;  he  fears 
that  it  may  be  illegal,  and  that  Captain  H.  may  expose  him 
self  to  prosecutions.  The  Captain  replies  respectfully  that 
he  is  simply  instructing  his  own  workmen  in  religious  truths, 
at  hours  when  they  were  usually  carousing,  and  that  if 
others  choose  to  come,  he  cannot  conscientiously  prevent 
them.  He  does  not  propose  to  break  off  from  the  State 
Church,  but  only  to  fill  out  its  instructions  in  this  plain  way. 
"  Then,"  says  the  Bishop,  "  you  should  be  ordained  as  a 
clergyman."  But  the  Captain  does  not  at  all  feel  himself 
adapted  or  educated  for  that  ;  so  at  length  the  Bishop 
retires,  very  courteously  discomfited.  Captain  H.  has  also 
had  a  conversation  with  the  Ministry  of  Public  Worship  at 
Stockholm.  These  gentlemen  are  obliged  to  allow  that,  as 
yet,  he  is  not  going  beyond  the  pale  of  the  laws — so  for 
the  present,  Lasarne  will  not  be  broken  up.  In  addition 
to  the  chapel,  Mr.  H.  has  a  school  on  his  estate,  as  is  the 
custom  with  the  large  landed  proprietors. 

My  visit  at  this  hospitable  home  was  delightful.  One 
takes  away  from  such  places  a  purer  and  better  atmosphere. 
A  few  words  with  any  man  who  really  holds  himself  in  the 
presence  of  the  Unseen,  and  lives  for  it,  is  the  best  sermon. 
To  my  own  mind,  there  is  something  unnatural  in  this  speci 
fying  and  cataloguing  the  events  of  the  soul's  life,  even  as  in 
the  outward  life,  as  my  friend  did  in  his  conversation.  It 
is  dangerous  besides — yet  here,  where  for  a  time  the  soul 


THE    NORSE-FOLK. 


was  more  a  reality  than  the  body,  and  people  were  aroused 
by  mighty  truths  before  hidden,  one  could  pardon  and  ap 
preciate  it. 

Captain  H.'s  enterprise,  humble  as  it  is,  is  another  of  those 
grand  evidences  which  meet  one  continually  in  Europe,  of 
the  irrepressible  demand  of  the  human  soul  for  religion.  Rich 
priestly  garments  do  not  satisfy  ;  catechisings,  liturgies, 
communion-suppers  are  not  enough  ;  jovial  clergymen,  hos 
pitable  parsonages,  a  recognition  of  the  Church  in  every  act 
of  civil  life,  do  not  meet  the  soul's  hunger.  Moral  essays 
and  the  "  Ten  Commandments  "  learnt  to  a  satiety,  and 
catechisms  oft-repeated,  are  not  sufficient  to  restrain  the 
surging  lusts  and  passions  of  the  heart.  But  at  length,  a 
man  without  surplice  or  cassock,  with  no  help  of  organ  or 
paintings  or  architecture,  opens  the  old  unworn  story  of  the 
Redeemer  and  under  the  light  of  great  truths,  talks  quietly 
and  earnestly.  It  is  all  real  to  him.  He  has  proved  it  in 
the  storms  and  when  the  floods  of  great  waters  were  on 
him,  and  the  people  believe  ;  they  flock  to  him  ;  old  habits 
are  changed  :  Love  beams  where  Selfishness  was  ;  the  great 
truth  .that  man  is  to  look  out  of  himself,  and  so  cease  to 
count  his  petty  virtues,  and  to  love  and  depend  on  the 
higher  One  —  the  REDEEMER,  works  on  the  soul  as  it  has 
done  in  every  age,  and  of  itself  spreads  the  very  air  of  purity 
and  morality  in  the  foul  heart,  where  before  every  efiort  at 
self-redemption  had  been  in  vain.  This  is  the  despised 
La'seri  at  present  in  Sweden. 


CHAPTER     XXIX. 

AN    OLD    CASTLE. 

THE  next  morning  I  was  forwarded  to  Count  X.'s 
estate,  in  my  friend's  carriage,  the  horses  being  supplied 
at  the  post-stations.  The  entrance  of  the  property  was 
through  an  old  stiff  avenue  of  beeches,  perfectly  straight, 
leading  to  the  front  of  the  castle.  It  is  remarkable 
how  poorly  placed  and  ill-kept  are  many  of  the  estates 
of  the  highest  nobility  in  Sweden.  The  rich  middle-classes 
seem  usually  to  possess  more  tasteful  properties.  Here,  we 
came  first  upon  the  barns,  brick  buildings  with  high  pointed 
gables,  not  at  all  screened  ;  then  to  a  mill,  built  upon  what 
was  the  old  moat  probably,  now  a  rather  unseemly  weed- 
grown  stream.  There  was  nothing  of  that  nicety  of  care, 
one  sees  in  such  places  in  England  ;  but  the  broad,  carefully 
ploughed  fields  on  each  side,  and  the  herds  of  Ayrshire  and 
Durham  cattle  on  the  meadows,  showed  the  owner  an  agri 
culturist,  perhaps  more  occupied  in  that  direction  at  present 
than  in  beautifying. 

September . — I  am  in  a  comfortable  old  bed-chamber 

on   the  ground-floor,   looking  out  on   the  court,   which  is 

15*  345 


346  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

enclosed  by  two  brick  wings  with  little  Gothic  turrets.  An 
ancient  clock  is  in  the  centre,  and  the  date  says  1642 — pro 
bably  the  date  of  the  restoration  of  the  building.  My 
room  opens  into  a  huge  dining-room,  not  now  used  appa 
rently,  and  lined  with  old  portraits.  There  is  a  heap  of 
new  books  in  their  paper  wrappers,  unopened,  on  one  of  the 
side-boards,  just  as  they  have  been  sent  from  the  agents  and 
publishers.  A  servant  in  livery  in  the  hall,  has  especial 
charge  of  me  and  my  wants.  It  is  two  o'clock,  and  we  are 
having  the  hour  to  ourselves  to  dress  for  dinner. 

I  have  already  made  the  friendly  acquaintance  of  a  very 
enlightened  and  generous-minded  lady,  Countess  S.,  visiting 
the  castle.  She  has  resided  long  in  Germany,  and  we  have 
many  subjects  in  common.  High  rank  with  her  has  not 
had  the  common  effect,  of  contracting  the  mind  and  sympa 
thies.  Her  alburn  has  the  most  interesting  collection  of 
historic  names  and  personal  memoranda  from  great  men,  I 
have  ever  seen.  One  from  Bernadotte  struck  me  : 

"  Celui  qui  sert  Phumanite'  et  qui  la  defend  merite  le  titre 
de  citoyen  du  monde." 

Bernadotte  was  an  orator  always,  and  something  of  the 
elation  of  the  French  Revolution  seems  to  run  through  all  his 
sentiments.  She  says  his  conversation  was  one  of  the  most 
interesting  she  ever  enjoyed,  and  when,  after  dinner,  the 
ladies  were  in  one  circle  around  the  Queen,  taking  coffee, 
they  were  often  really  listening  to  the  King,  talking  to  his 
circle  of  gentlemen.  She  has  in  her  book,  bars  of  music 
from  distinguished  composers,  sketches  from  artists,  and 
even  poetry  and  music  from  the  present  princes.  One 


THE    SALOONS.  347 

gentle  song  she  treasures,  from  the  young  Prince  uot  long 
deceased,  whom  all  Sweden  yet  mourns,  the  favorite  of 
the  whole  line — Prince  GUSTAF,  second  son  of  the  present 
king. 

I  have  been  kindly  shown  over  the  castle  by  Countess  S. 
Three  large  saloons — those  most  used  by  the  family — were 
filled  with  costly  paintings.  Here  as  so  often  in  the 
rich  houses  of  Sweden,  I  have  been  surprised  at  the  rare 
collections  of  art.  Even  the  English  castles,  especially  in 
the  medieval  art,  are  not  superior  ;  and  only  some  Austrian 
and  Italian  private  collections  can  be  judged  finer.  Guido, 
Rubens,  Caracci,  Rembrandt,  Wouvermann,  Poussin,  and 
numerous  others — each  of  which  is  a  gem.  There  were 
also  pretty  collections  of  China.  Plate  is  not  shown,  as 
it  is  in  England,  or  perhaps  not  so  richly  possessed. 
The  rooms  were  usually  uncarpeted,  with  parquet  floors  : 
furniture  solid  and  tasteful,  with  now  and  then  some  antique 
oak  or  walnut  piece,  quaintly  carved.  The  bedrooms  have 
very  heavy  hangings  over  the  beds  and  at  the  windows — - 
the  pillows  and  all  being  covered  with  red-drapery.  The 
charm  of  the  whole  was  in  the  antique  grandeur  of  the 
apartments,  and  the  historic  air  from  the  portraits.  Each 
room  had  its  paintings,  and  its  ancient  faces,  connecting  the 
Present  with  the  far-away  Past :  sweet  womanly  looks, 
cheeks  fresh  as  if  copied  yesterday,  stern  and  manly  coun 
tenances,  and  one  or  two  crowned  heads — for  the  family 
numbers  these  among  its  ancestors. 

In  one  wing  was  a  very  pretty  library  and  study  for 
the  Count.  The  collection  of  books  was  by  no  means 


348  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

equal  to  those  in  the  other  castles  and  halls  I  had 
visited. 

The  antiquity  and  the  association  with  the  past  seemed 
gradually  to  affect  one's  mind,  and  as  we  passed  out  of  an 
old  saloon  with  portraits,  into  a  sombre  bed-room,  hung 
with  ancient  paintings  and  engravings,  I  listened  almost 
unsurprised  to  a  story  of  the  lady's  about  this  very  room. 

She  was  sleeping  there,  she  said,  one  night,  as  she  had 
often  done  (though  never  since,  thank  God  1),  her  maid 
slept  in  a  little  tower  adjoining,  when  suddenly,  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  she  was  awakened  by  three  distinct 
raps  on  the  panelling  of  the  chamber.  She  raised  her  head, 
thinking  it  was  the  maid,  when  she  heard  them  again  on 
the  opposite  side,  towards  the  saloon.  She  looked  there, 
and  the  door  was  open,  and  against  the  light  of  the  win 
dows  within  this  room  she  saw  a  white  mist  drifting  in, 
which  seemed,  as  it  approached  her,  to  assume  a  gigantic 
human  form.  She  tried  to  shriek,  but  her  throat  could 
not  utter  a  sound  ;  she  gasped,  and  at  length  had  strength 
enough  to  drop  her  head  on  the  pillow,  when  she  felt  a 
cold  sensation  pass  over  her  neck  and  shoulder,  as  if  an 
icy  hand  had  touched  her.  She  nearly  fainted — but  at 
length  in  her  exhaustion,  slept.  The  next  morning,  she 
questioned  her  maid,  but  the  woman  had  heard  nothing  ; 
when  she  went  down  to  breakfast,  she  told  her  experience  to 
the  old  Countess  A.,  whose  son  is  the  lord  of  the  estate. 
This  lady  turned  very  pale,  but  made  no  reply,  and  the 
subject  was  never  alluded  to  again  between  them.  The 
next  day,  she  happened  to  journey  away,  and  when  she 


GHOST-STORIES.  349 

returned,   she  took  care  never  to  sleep  in  that   chamber 
ag<iin  ! 

I  asked  her  if  she  had  ever  spoken  about  it  to  others, 
or  had  ever  heard  any  legends,  which  might  account  for  the 
spectre. 

She  said,  she  once  asked  Colonel  F.,  a  friend  of  the 
family,  if  anything  had  happened  :  o  him  at  P.  Castle  ?  He 
shrugged  his  shoulders  mysteriously,  and  said  he  should 
never  sleep  at  P.  Castle  again  ! 

It  appears  in  olden  times,  a  very  wicked  woman  lived 
here,  who  was  thought  by  the  peasants  to  have  sold  herself 
to  the  Evil  One  ;  and  when  she  died,  a  puff  of  white  smoke 
was  seen  to  issue  from  one  of  the  castle  windows.  This 
bed-room  was  perhaps  her  room. 

I  heard  another  instance  lately  of  these  interesting  ex 
periences  among  intelligent  people. 

A  lady  who  is  descended  from  the  famous  family  of  Oxen- 
stie'rn,  told  me  that  while  in  her  castle  at  W.}  she  observed 
one  day  the  workmen  making  some  repairs  in  the  walls 
of  one  saloon,  at  the  command  of  her  father,  and  that  they 
tad  placed  a  valuable  painting  on  the  floor.  She  was  fear 
ful  some  injury  might  happen  to  it,  and  she  said  to  the 
workmen  that  they  could  hang  it  on  an  unoccupied  nail 
in  her  chamber.  The  picture  was  a  portrait  of  the  old 
Chancellor  Oxenstiern.  On  the  other  side  of  her  chamber, 
though  she  did  not  then  observe  it,  hung  a  portrait  of 
Queen  Christina.  Now,  as  is  well  known,  there  was  be 
tween  these  two  during  life  a  most  bitter  feud,  which  was 
never  reconciled.  This  did  not  occur  to  her,  however,  and 


350  THE    NOBS  E- FOLK. 

she  undressed  and  retired  to  her  bed  as  usual.  In  the 
night,  she  was  aroused  suddenly  by  a  curious  rustling  ;  she 
listened,  and  it  evidently  came  from  the  wall  where  the 
picture  hung.  She  raised  her  head,  and  gazed  at  the  old 
portrait  by  the  light  of  the  night-lamp,  when  she  heard 
distinctly  proceeding  from  it,  a  deep,  hollow  groan — then 
another — and  then  a  third.  She  was  fearfully  alarmed,  but 
really  had  not  strength  to  shriek,  and  her  room  was  at 
a  distance  on  one  wing  of  the  castle,  where  she  could  only 
arouse  people  by  an  alarm-bell.  She  thought  of  arising  and 
fleeing  to  her  maid,  when  suddenly  again  came  the  sepul 
chral  groans.  She  could  not  stir  ;  her  voice  failed,  and 
at  length  she  fell  back  exhausted — to  sleep.  The  next 
morning,  nothing  seemed  moved  or  different  in  the  picture, 
"but  I  assure  you,  Monsieur  B.,"  said  she,  "I  removed  the 
portrait  at  once  to  another  room,  and  I  have  never  been 
troubled  with  anything  of  the  kind  since  !  But,  it  was 
horrible  1" 

A  servant  announced  dinner  as  we  were  sitting  in  the 
drawing-room,  and  another  opened  the  doors  from  the  great 
hall  into  the  dining-saloon.  All  stand  a  moment  by  the 
table,  with  hands  folded  ;  then,  with  the  usual  obeisance, 
we  take  our  seats.  Two  or  three  servants  are  in  waiting. 
There  is  very  little  formality  and  no  display — a  pleasant 
family-table — the  ladies  not  in  full  dress.  Some  beautiful 
dahlias  make  the  principal  ornament  of  the  table.  A  pre 
paration  of  sour  milk  and  a  soup  is  handed  first  to 
each  to  choose  from,  then  fish,  a  kind  of  sturgeon,  then 


DIN  NEK.  351 

quails,  and  pancakes,  and  another  dish  of  meat  already 
carved.  Only  one  kind  of  wine  is  passed.  The  children 
sit  at  the  table  with  their  governess  ;  our  hostess  the 
Countess,  is  a  most  affectionate,  careful  mother.  The  con 
versation  at  table  is  almost  entirely  in  French  or  German — 
the  company,  as  usual,  using  the  language  of  the  guest, 
even  for  their  own  intercourse. 

The  German  lady,  who  has  so  kindly  been  my  chaperon 
thus  far,  talks  to  me  in  under-tone  of  the  society  of 
Sweden. 

11  The  ladies  are  shut  within  their  cliques  too  much,"  she 
says.  "  They  do  not  see  enough  of  the  world,  and  one  does 
not  find  the  spirit  of  humanity  enough  among  them.  To  me, 
the  air  is  dose  among  them.  They  speak  languages,  and  they 
read,  but  they  have  not  many  thoughts,  and  it  is  hard  to  in 
terest  them  in  anything — still  they  are  sufficiently  amiable." 

We  spoke  of  the  morality  of  the  higher  classes.  She 
thought  there  had  been  a  great  improvement  since  the  acces 
sion  of  Carl  Johan  (Bernadotte).  The  old  French  indiffer 
ence  and  sensuality  had  much  passed  away,  under  the 
citizen-king  and  his  family.  "  Yet  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
Leichtsinn  (laxity)  among  the  young  men.  I  have  seen  such 
fortunes  wasted  among  them  !" 

At  the  close,  according  to  the  usual  custom,  we  stand  a 
moment  for  silent  thanks,  and  then  go  carelessly  to  the  draw 
ing-room,  where  each  shakes  hands  with  the  hostess,  and 
thanks  her. 

Coffee  is  served  up,  and  we  chat  and  listen  to  music,  until 
a  walk  is  proposed.  The  grounds  are  singularly  poor  and 


352  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

formal  for  such  a  property,  the  main  attention  evidently 
being  given  to  the  crops.  As  is  universal  with  the  gentry 
there  are  hot-houses  and  orangeries  and  wall-fruits.  The 
peach  and  apricot  will  sometimes  ripen  here  against  a  wall, 
but  more  generally  they  are  kept  under  glass.  The  princi 
pal  superintendent  met  us — called  "Inspector" — who  has 
the  charge  of  the  place,  apparently  a  very  sensible,  well- 
informed  man,  and  treated  very  politely,  by  the  ladies. 
The  tenantry  on  the  estates  of  Count  X.,  number  about  ten 
thousand. 

On  returning  to  the  drawing-room  at  six  o'clock,  fruit  is, 
served — grapes,  peaches  and  melons. 

We  are  called  to  supper  at  eight  o'clock.  The  Countess 
makes  tea,  and  we  each  eat  a  little  bread  and  butter  and 
cheese,  standing  ;  then  sit  down,  and  one  or  two  light  dishes 
are  handed  by  a  servant — pan-cakes  and  a  dish  of  milk.  No 
one  takes  more  than  one  cup  of  tea. 

It  should  be  noted,  now  that  I  am  cataloguing  small 
customs,  that  this  is  almost  the  only  table  in  Sweden,  where 
I  have  seen  salt-spoons  or  at  dinner,  finger-glasses.  While 
we  are  eating,  the  children  come  around  and  bid  us  each 
good  night,  and  are  taken  off  by  a  servant — their  little  rosy 
faces  quite  melancholy  at  the  cruel  word  "  bed-time." 

We  sit  a  little  while  in  the  drawing-room  after  supper,  by 
the  French  lamp,  and  although  the  castle  is  miles  from  any 
post-office  or  town,  the  Stockholm  papers  and  letters,  and 
some  telegraph-dispatches  are  brought  in.  They  read  to  mo 
with  much  interest  the  American  news,  and  the  slavery 
question,  and  Fremont's  chances  are  eagerly  discussed. 


A  R  R  A  JN ;  G  K  M  E  N  T  S  .  353 

Among  the  despatches,  the  Countess  read  one  indifferently, 
that  the  young  Princes  from  the  Court  were  to  pay  them  a 
visit  on  the  following  Saturday.  My  partings  were  most 
courteous  and  kindly  from  the  ladies,  and  it  was  arranged 
that  I  was  to  be  forwarded  to  the  next  post-station  in  one 
of  the  Count's  vehicles,  and  thence  by  post-carriage  to 
N . 


CHAPTER      XXX. 

NORRKOPING. 

As  I  was  waiting  for  my  carriage  at  the  first  post-station, 
a  young  gentleman,  wrapped  up  in  a  pelisse,  and  just  about 
to  enter  his  own  carriage,  which  was  at  the  door,  said  sud 
denly  in  English,  "You  ride  till  Norchcepping,  sir  ?" 

I  answered,  Yes  :  after  a  few  pleasant  words,  he  pro 
posed  an  exchange — that  I  should  come  in  with  him,  and 
his  maid  should  go  on  in  the  other  vehicle  and  meet  us  m 
the  city.  I  accepted  without  ceremony,  and  we  were  soon 
rolling  easily  off  in  a  most  elegant  little  turn-out,  with  a 
mustachoed  coachman  in  top-boots  on  the  box.  My  com 
panion  was  a  young  nobleman,  travelling  across  the  country 
some  two  hundred  miles,  with  his  own  horses.  He  was  a 
fair  type,  I  suppose,  of  the  majority  of  his  class — intensely 
patriotic,  a  little  bigoted  both  in  politics  and  religion,  not 
remarkably  cultured,  of  serious  turn,  and  with  a  very  gener 
ous  spirit  of  courtesy  and  hospitality. 

We  spoke  of  the  Russian  and  English  war.  "  Ah  1  such 
a  blunder  as  was  that  !"  said  he.  "  We  had  only  to  throw 
ourselves  in  and  Finland  could  have  been  certainly  re-taken. 
Such  a  chance  to  drive  those  cursed  Russians  for  ever  out  I 

854 


A    EIDE.  355 

But  we  waited,  and  we  negoced,  and  it  was  in  fine  too  late. 
It  will  never  come  again — such  an  opportunity.  We  all 
would  have  enlisted,  to  a  man.  To  be  sure,  we  have  not 
so  large  an  army  as  the  Russians,  but  every  one  knows  one 
Swede  is  worth  of  three  Russians.  Look  at  Pultowa  1" 
And  he  hummed  fiercely — 

"  Ur  vagen  Moscoviter ! 
Friskt  mod  j  gossar  bla !" 

*'  Out  of  the  way  !  out  of  the  way !  ye  Muscovites  I" 
Up  and  at  them !  up  and  at  them !  boys  of  blue  !" 

This  gentleman  again  was  of  the  younger  branch  of  a 
noble  family,  and  shut  out  from  many  of  the  privileges  of 
nobility  ;  but  he  informed  me  that,  through  the  favor  of  a 
relative  who  did  not  want  to  take  his  seat  in  the  Parliament, 
he  expected  to  sit.  "  Ah,  yes,"  he  said,  "  our  Constitution 
needs  much  rebuilding.  It  is  the  priests  who  are  in  the 
way.  The  King  is  in  favor  of  all  rational  reforms — he  is  a 
good  king — such  a  king  no  country  ever  had  ;  but  these 
clergy — they  are  always  in  fear  for  the  Church."  "  Know 
you,"  he  added,  "  that  in  many  province,  the  pay  sans  are 
already  buying  the  property  of  the  nobles,  and  unless  some 
thing  be  done  to  give  all  OUT  gentry  a  share  in  government, 
we  shall  have  nothing  but  pretes  and  boors  to  rule  us  !" 

I  found  that  he  had  the  same  feelings  about  the  formalism 
of  the  clergy  and  Church,  which  prevail  every  where. 

"  We  want  the  Reformation,"  he  said,  "  as  much  as  they 
did  in  Luther's  time.  You  know  Dr.  B.,  of  Stockholm — • 
such  men  never  preach  the  Gospel.  It  is  not  the  doctrine 


356  THE    NOBSE- FOLK. 

of  grace  and  faith,  but  only  works,  works  I  How  they  hunt 
Capt.  H.,  where  you  were,  merely  because  he  is  a  truer  Pro 
testant  !  May  the  Devil  confound  them  all  1"  *  *  * 

We  spoke  of  America,  of  which  he  knew  very  little.  I 
think  he  inquired  if  we  had  not  recently  abolished  slavery  ! 

Learning  my  objects  of  studying  the  condition  of  the 
people,  he  was  very  anxious  to  take  me  with  him  to  his 
father's,  Baron  H.,  in  Smaland,  whom  he  was  going  to  visit. 
He  said  that  the  Baron,  like  Capt.  H.,  had  erected  a  church 
for  the  people  and  had  called  in  a  schoolmaster  from  the 
peasants,  to  preach  to  them.  Crowds  came  from  a  great 
distance  to  hear  him,  and  yet  it  was  nothing  but  a  simple, 
earnest  exposition  of  Scripture.  His  invitations  were  the 
most  cordial,  but  I  finally  concluded  that  the  excursion 
would  take  me  too  much  out  of  my  route.  We  reached 
Norrkoping  in  good  time. 

This  town  is  one  of  the  leading  manufacturing  places  of 
Sweden,  for  woollens  and  cotton.  I  never  saw  a  more 
cheerful  and  picturesque  manufacturing  city.  The  streets 
are  broad  and  clean,  and  through  the  midst,  a  beautiful 
stream,  with  broad  reaches  and  flashing  water-falls,  runs 
merrily,  giving  the  great  water-power.  Some  of  the  views 
on  the  bridges  of  this  river — the  Motala — are  exquisite.  I 
met  here  also  some  very  agreeable  and  cultivated  men  of 
business. 

SWEDISH     MANUFACTURES. 

The  value  of  all  the  manufactures  at  Registered  Factories 
in  Sweden  was — 


VALUE    OF    MANUFACTURES.          357 

In  1839 $5,439,123 

1846 7,084,947 

1848 8.368,348 

1850 9,891,072 

1852 9,859,524 

1853 10,151,724 

COTTON. 

Raw  Cotton — Import  in  1853,  9,883,572  pounds — exceeding  that  of 
previous  year  by  1,247,041  pounds,  and  of  1850  by  5,200,000  pounds. 

Ticist — 1853,  manufactured  in  Sweden,  7,715,961  pounds,  mostly 
of  numbers  under  26,  and  valued  at  $1,655,336.  In  1852,  6,653,790 
pounds,  and  value,  $1,467,950. 

Cotton  and  Linen  manufactured  in  1853,  valued  at  $346,886 — 
exceeding  1851  by  $82,000. 

TOBACCO. 

Import  of  unmanufactured  tobacco,  in  1853,  4,831,638  pounds; 
excess  of  1852,  413,722  pounds. 

Import  of  manufactured  tobacco,  66,588  pounds — more  than  one 
half  from  United  States.  In  1853,  from  United  States,  3,107,193  Ibs. 

COMMERCE    OF    SWEDEN. 

Imports  from  United  States — Tobacco,  rice,  cotton,  oil,  sugar,  cof 
fee,  cocoa,  spices,  dye-woods,  resin. 
Value. 

1840.  1846.  1847.  1848.  1849. 

$450,156.  .  .346,000. .  .450,000. .  .     760,000. .  .1,070,800 

EXPORTS. 

Iron  and  Tar  to  United  States — 

1840.  1846.  1847.  1848.  1S49. 

$1,029,796.  .  .388,000.  .  .886,400.  .  .1,002,400.  .  .     730,800 


358  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 


BRANDT    CONSUMED. 

In  1851,  30,000,000  galls,  per  annum — 9.1  for  every  human  being! 
The  consumption  is  much  less  now. 

DUTIES. 

Cotton  (raw),  free.  Cloth  less  than  76  threads  to  an  inch,  and 
width  less  than  6  quarters,  fordidden. 

White  cloth,  per  pound,  1  riks  bane  (40  cents) ;  printed,  per  pound, 
1.04  (41  cents). 

Yarn,  undyed,  per  pound,  .04  (1  cent);  Turkey  red,  .8  (2  cents); 
Woollens,  .2  (one-half  cent). 

The  iron-trade  has  increased  immensely  this  year  (1856). 
The  value  of  exports  and  imports  is  equal  to  $50,000,000, 
or  nearly  double  that  of  1853,  and  one  third  greater  than 
that  of  1854.  The  customs'  revenue  alone  from  this  article 
is  about  $3,500,000,  which  is  beyond  any  previous  years  by 
$1,600,000.  The  annual  export  of  bar-iron  is  about  80,000 
tons  ;  to  the  United  States,  (about)  13,333  tons.  By  the 
Decree  of  December,  1855,  the  export-duty  on  bar-iron  was 
abolished,  which  would  maie  a  loss  of  some  $40,000  in  the 
annual  revenue.  Pig  and  ballast  iron,  export  and  import, 
pay  a  duty  of  40  cents  on  a  skeppund.* 

Seven  eighths  of  the  iron-export  business  to  the  United 
States  is  done  by  Messrs.  Naylor  &  Co.,  New  York. 

*  About  266  pounds. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE      SWEDISH      SCHOOLS. 

FROM  Norrkoping  I  returned  to  Stockholm,  where  I  spent 
my  time  especially  in  investigations  in  the  Swedish  Schools. 
The  American  friends  of  Education  will  be  glad  to  hear  of 
a  vigorous  progress  in  the  modern  school-system  of  Sweden. 

The  first  organized  popular  school  in  Sweden  may  be 
considered  to  date  back  as  far  as  1646,  when  the  Bishop 
Rudbeckius,  at  Westeras,  commenced  his  labors  in  this 
direction.  The  first  practical  instruction  for  the  teachers 
was  arranged  in  1690.  About  this  time,  a  general  law 
was  passed,  forbidding  any  one  to  take  out  a  license  to 
marry,  who  could  not  read  the  catechism.  The  laws  which 
followed,  relative  to  the  examination  of  the  children,  who 
were  about  to  be  confirmed,  and  the  custom  which  requires 
every  one  to  be  able  to  read,  before  he  can  receive  the 
confirmation,  and  thus  be  a  citizen,  have  caused  for  some 
centuries  a  very  general  knowledge  of  reading  and  writing 
among  the  Swedish  people. 

The  last  ordinance  passed  by  the  Parliament  in  June, 
1842,  establishing  schools  in  every  parish,  has  been  pro 
ductive  of  much  good.  Before  this,  there  were  small  "  circu- 

859 


360  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

lating  schools "  in  each  district,  passing  from  house  to 
house,  but  the  teachers  were  poor  and  poorly  paid,  and  the 
accommodations  miserable.  Now,  each  parish  must  have 
at  least  one  established  school,  with  a  Normal  School  for 
teachers,  with  proper  rooms  and  conveniences.  The  pastor 
exercises  a  careful  supervision  over  it,  and  himself  examines 
the  pupils  twice  a  year.  The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  the 
country-schools  have  been  in  the  lack  of  interest  among 
the  people,  the  poor  state  of  the  Teachers'  Seminaries  or 
Normal  Schools,  and  the  scattered  condition  of  the  popu 
lation.  In  a  parish  reaching  twenty  miles,  with  10,000 
people  in  it,  it  became  almost  impossible  for  all  to  attend 
a  school  at  one  point,  so  that  the  Government  has  been 
obliged  to  allow  the  pastors  to  open  circulating  schools. 
It  will  be  remembered,  in  Dalecarlia,  in  the  parish  of  Lek- 
sand,  I  found  thirty  circulating  schools,  with  one  established. 
Great  efforts  are  now  being  made  to  advance  this  whole 
subject.  At  the  head  of  the  movement  is  one  of  the  most 
enlightened  men  in  Sweden — a  gentleman  favorably  known 
in  this  country — Mr.  SILJESTROM,  of  Stockholm.  His  work 
on  the  "Schools  of  America"  has  been  invaluable  for  Swe 
den.  He  is  now  getting  out  a  book  with  the  plans,  etc., 
of  our  latest  improvements  in  school  buildings.  It  was 
often  said  to  me  that  Mr.  Siljestrom  was  doing  more  for 
education  in  Sweden  than  all  the  Committees  on  Education 
of  the  Riksdag  for  the  last  quarter  of  a  century.  His  great 
efforts  now  are  to  awaken  interest  in  the  public  mind  on 
the  subject,  and  at  the  same  time  to  improve  the  education 
of  teachers.  He  is  also  seeking  to  form  parish  libraries 


SCHOOL-HOUSES.  361 

all  over  tne  kingdom,  through  some  central  agency  in 
Stockholm,  as  at  present  the  mass  of  the  peasants  read 
nothing  but  the  catechism  and  an  occasional  newspaper. 

The  school  buildings  which  he  took  me  into  in  Stock 
holm  seemed  equal  to  the  best  of  our  city  schools,  with 
large  airy  rooms,  good  light,  and  means  of  ventilation, 
and  improved  seats,  though  I  think  I  saw  none  of  the  single 
iron  seats.* 

Those  in  the  country  were  generally  dwelling-houses,  where 
the  teachers  resided,  but  were  provided  also  with  suitable 
accommodations.  The  great  defect  is  the  poor  pay  of  the 
teachers — some  in  the  country  not  earning  twenty-five  dol 
lars  a  year  beyond  their  board.  This  is  collected  by  taxes 
on  the  parish,  laid  by  the  town  meeting  of  peasants.  With 
new  interest  and  enlightenment,  the  scale  of  reward  for  such 
services  will  rise. 

Charity  Schools. — Of  these  there  are  not  many.  I  visited 
two  in  Stockholm,  two  in  Gottenburg,  and  one  near  Lund, 
and  a  few  private  schools  on  gentlemen's  estates. 

The  defects  in  them,  as  in  the  public  schools,  lie  as  I  have 
so  often  indicated,  in  the  too  great  value  attached  to  tech 
nical  religious  instruction — the  catechism  taking  the  place 
both  of  usual  school  studies  and  of  genuine  religious  in 
spiring  ;  so  that  the  effect  on  the  minds  of  the  pupils  seems 
to  be  a  stagnation  of  the  intellect,  and  a  substitution  of 
words  for  the  feeling  of  religion — the  catechism  becoming- 

*  I  am  informed  by  Mr.  Polraan  of  New  York,  that  he  has  re 
ceived  orders  from  his  friend.  Mr.  S.,  to  send  out  to  Sweden  this 
spring  various  iron  seats  and  tables. 

1G 


362  THENORSE-FOLK. 

a  kind  of  Protestant  bead-telling,  like  that,  of  use  in  remind 
ing,  but  inspiring  no  life. 

Normal  Schools. — Both  Gottenburg  and  Stockholm  have 
schools  for  the  training  of  teachers  ;  still  the  system  of 
teaching  is  poor,  and  the  quality  of  teachers  sent  out  is 
generally  very  inferior.  There  are  also  such  schools  in  some 
of  the  smaller  towns. 

Gymnastics. — There  are  two  respects  in  which  the  Swedish 
school-system  is  far  superior  to  ours. 

One  is  in  the  universal  teaching  of  gymnastic  exercises. 
Every  school-building  has  its  large,  high  room,  with  earth- 
ern  or  matted  floor,  and  all  sorts  of  implements  for  develop 
ing  the  muscles — ladders,  poles,  wooden  horses,  cross-bars 
up  to  the  roof,  jurnping-places,  ropes  for  swinging,  knotted 
ropes  for  climbing,  etc.  The  scholars  are  not  allowed  to 
exercise  on  what  they  wish,  but  there  is  a  regular,  scientifi 
cally-arranged  system.  They  are  trained  in  squads,  and  move 
and  march,  sometimes  to  music,  at  the  word  of  command. 

At  a  large  public  school  in  Stockholm  I  saw  the  lads 
in  their  noon  lessons  at  gymnastics.  The  teacher  gave  the 
word,  and  a  dozen  sprang  out  towards  a  tall  pole  with  cross 
bars,  and  clambering  up  it,  each  hung  with  his  legs,  then 
at  the  word  all  together  dropped  their  heads  backward 
and  hung  by  the  feet  and  ankles,  then  again  recovered 
themselves  and  let  themselves  down.  Another  party,  one 
after  the  other,  squirmed  up  a  naked  mast  ;  another  pulled 
themselves  up  hand  over  hand  on  a  knotted  rope  ;  others, 
in  succession,  played  leap-frog  over  a  wooden  horse  ;  then 
they  marched  to  the  beat  of  the  drum.  The  smaller  or 


GYMNASTICS.  363 

weaker  boys  begin  with  the  lowest  grade  of  exercise,  and 
follow  up,  according  to  a  scientific  system,  arranged  for 
health.  They  all  seemed  to  go  into  it  with  the  greatest 
relish,  and  showed  well-trained  muscular  power.  I  could 
not  but  conclude  that  the  superior  physique  of  the  Swedish 
men  is  not  entirely  due  to  climate.  When  will  America 
learn  that  health  and  strength  have  their  unescapable 
laws  ? 

This  gymnastic  system  is  a  regular  medical  system  in 
Sweden.  Prof.  Ling  has  an  elaborate  treatise  on  it.  I 
found  the  treatment  in  much  use  for  nervous,  bilious,  and 
dyspeptic  disorders,  both  among  men  and  women,  the  most 
intelligent  people  having  great  confidence  in  it. 

Our  public  schools  in  America  ought  to  be  up  with  this 
step  in  education.  Every  Ward  School,  High  School,  or 
school  of  any  importance,  should  have  its  gymnasium.  Of 
all  nations  in  the  world,  ours,  with  its  intense  and  constant 
stimulus  to  the  nervous  system,  needs  the  balance  of  healthy 
exercise  for  the  muscular.  Children  are  growing  up  puny, 
and  nervous  and  delicate,  most  of  all,  perhaps,  for  the 
want  of  such  training  during  the  time  when  their  brains 
are  in  most  constant  activity.  Mr.  Barnard,  of  Hartford, 
Ct.,  one  of  the  great  reformers  of  our  common  school  educa 
tion,  is  deeply  interested  in  the  subject,  and  has  models  and 
plans  of  the  Swedish  implements  and  machinery  for  this 
purpose.  The  introduction  of  a  good  method  of  physical 
training  might  change  the  whole  bodily  and  sanitary  condi 
tion  of  our  growing  population. 

Scientific   Schools  for    Workmen. — The  other   superiority 


364:  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

of  the  Swedish  system,  lies  in  the  advantages  it  offers  to 
mechanics  and  laborers.  In  a  small  Swedish  town,  not 
larger  than  Bridgeport,  for  instance,  you  find  an  evening 
school,  where  mechanics  can  learn  drawing,  modelling,  or 
the  practical  application  of  the  natural  sciences,  without 
any  expense.  I  visited  one  in  Stockholm  in  which  Mr 
Siljestrom  is  much  interested,  which  was  truly  a  "  School 
of  Art."  There  were  in  it  beautiful  plaster  models  of  Greek 
sculpture,  and  bas-reliefs  of  Italian  statuary,  and  of  the  best 
of  Danish  bas-relief — than  which  modern  art  has  nothing 
more  pure  and  classical — beside  plaster  casts  of  heads,  frag 
ments  of  limbs,  mathematical  blocks  and  architectural 
ornaments,  from  which  to  draw  and  to  model.  An  original 
device  struck  me  here,  of  natural  forest-leaves  arranged  to 
drarvv  or  mould  from.  All  this  with  lessons  and  teachers 
in  the  arts,  lectures  on  chemistry  and  the  sciences,  is  open 
every  evening  for  laboring  men  and  women.  The  conse 
quence  is,  as  in  France,  you  have  a  class  in  Sweden,  which 
America  has  not,  of  artisans  of  taste — artistic  mechanics, 
men  and  women,  who  show  ingenuity  and  a  tasteful  origin 
ality  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture,  the  decoration,  paint 
ing  and  frescoing  of  rooms,  the  making  of  common  ware 
and  implements.  Whatever  you  are  obliged  to  buy  for 
a  house  in  the  shops,  without  ordering,  has  not  that  hard, 
awkward,  angular  look,  which  such  articles  have  with  us. 
Then  these  schools  provide  the  women  with  a  new  and  beau 
tiful  means  of  livelihood — the  arts  of  designing,  painting, 
drawing,  and  the  applying  of  science  to  manufacture.  Such 
schools  for  laborers  exist  all  through  Sweden. 


SCHOOLS    OF    DESIGN.  365 

It  is  truly  a  disgrace  that  in  them  America  should  be 
so  far  behind.  Except  the  excellent  Schools  of  Design  for 
women  in  Boston  and  New  York,  I  know  of  nothing  of  the 
kind  in  the  United  States. 

Our  city  evening  schools  are  good  in  their  way,  but  they 
are  suspended  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  and  they  do 
not  teach  the  higher  mechanical  and  artistic  branches.  The 
New  York  Free  Academy  has  a  good  modelling  and  draw 
ing  department,  but  is  open  only  in  the  day,  and  designed 
for  the  lads  of  the  school. 

Perhaps  the  great  " Cooper  Institute"  will  eventually 
supply  the  deficiency. 

America — the  country  of  all  where  Labor  is  honored — 
ought  to  hold  out  advantages  to  the  laboring  classes,  equal 
at  least  to  those  in  the  old  and  aristocratic  Kingdom  of 
Sweden 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

THE  ISLAND     OF     GOTTLAND. 

A  STEAMER  rims  twice  a  week  between  Stockholm  and 
Kalinar,  touching  at  Wisby  the  principal  city  of  Gott- 
land. 

The  trip  to  this  Island,  is  a  favorite  pleasure  excursion  in 
the  summer,  from  the  capital  ;  and  with  good  reason.  There 
is  not  in  North  Europe  so  picturesque  a  town  as  this  old 
commercial  city  of  Gottland.  The  first  view  from  the  water 
is  of  broken  towers,  battlements,  gables,  ruined  churches 
and  half-demolished  spires,  with  small  houses  closely  crowded 
among  them.  You  land  on  a  wharf  quietly,  and  go  up  nar 
row  paved  streets,  between  low,  quaint  houses,  and  now  ami 
then  pass  an  old  tall,  gabled  warehouse,  reminding  of  the 
days  when  Wisby  was  a  leading  Hanseatic  city.  You  come 
soon  on  the  ancient  wall  encircling  the  whole  city,  which  has 
some  forty-five  towers  yet  remaining,  though  much  defaced 
and  broken. 

This  wall  is  built  on  the  limestone  reck,  and  follows  each 
change  of  surface.  The  towers  are  some  of  them  still  used 
as  granaries  or  prisons.  As  you  wander  carelessly  about, 
you  come  upon  a  ruined  church — some  quiet  scene  with  a 

8G6 


RUINED    CHURCHES.  367 

green  grass-plot,  and  the  stone  walls  and  arches  rising  distinct 
againt  the  beautiful  blue  sky  of  this  latitude.  You  enter, 
and  find  yourself  under  columns  and  arches,  still  simple  and 
chaste  as  in  the  best  Gothic  periods  ;  amid  ruins  belonging 
to  the  earliest  times  of  Scandinavia,  built  before  William 
the  Conqueror  had  touched  the  soil  of  England. 

If  you  observe,  you  find  your  architectural  principles 
shocked  by  a  mingling  of  periods,  once  most  severely  separ 
ated — the  sturdy  round  arch  of  the  Saxon,  side  by  side  with 
the  graceful,  aspiring,  pointed  arch  of  the  early  Gothic, 
proving  in  art  as  in  ethnology,  that  the  Saxon  has  had 
vastly  more  than  his  deserts  from  the  world. 

The  "  Church  of  the  Holy  Spirit/'  an  octagonal  tower, 
with  one  crypt-like  room  opening  into  another  above  of 
similar  form,  by  a  hewn  aperture  in  its  stone  ceiling,  is  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  architectural  structures  in  the  world, 
and  thus  far,  I  think,  unexplained.  Nearly  all  these  build 
ings  show  a  great  completeness  and  fineness  of  work.  The 
town  only  contains  some  5,000  inhabitants,  yet  there  are 
now  the  ruins  in  it  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  large  churches, 
most  of  them  dating  back  to  the  tenth  and  twelfth  cen 
turies. 

Such  a  collection  of  mediaeval  remains,  it  seems  to  me, 
does  not  exist  in  Europe,  and  it  is  surprising  that  we  have 
nowhere  a  good  pictorial  description  of  them.*  The  con- 

*  An  American  artist  of  talent,  Mr.  W.  U.  C.  Burton,  of  Waterbury, 
Ct.,  has  made  a  beautiful  series  of  sketches  of  these  wonderful  ruins, 
the  most  complete  series  existing. 


368  THENORSE-FOLK. 

trast  of  these  chaste,  finished  structures,  requiring  such  ad 
vanced  taste  and  such  great  wealth,  with  the  poor  miserable 
town,  though  a  common  one  elsewhere,  is  here  very  impres 
sive,  because  the  story  of  the  rise  of  this  splendor  and  its 
passing  away  is  so  hid  in  the  mists  of  history. 

The  Scandinavian  Yikings,  from  the  early  centuries,  as 
has  already  been  shown,  did  not  alone  bring  back  the  plun 
der  of  their  piracies.  Some  of  the  fruits  of  their  adventur 
ous  expeditions  were  the  introduction  of  foreign  arts  and 
commerce,  and  the  ministry  of  the  new  Christian  Faith.  They 
traded  with  Constantinople,  Italy,  Russia,  the  East,  and  the 
islands  and  coasts  of  the  Northern  Ocean.  The  centre  of 
one  of  these  connections  of  trade — long  before  the  exist 
ence  of  the  Hanseatic  League — became  this  city  of  Gott- 
land. 

The  productions  which  the  East  brought  to  Northern 
Europe  were  conveyed  in  caravans  to  the  Russian  city  of 
Novgorod,  itself  founded  by  Swedes,  and  from  there  sent  to 
Wisby  to  be  exchanged  for  the  iron,  copper,  fish  and  furs  of 
Scandinavia.  Immense  numbers  of  Asiatic  coins  have  been 
found  in  Gottland,  and  in  various  parts  of  Sweden.  In 
Stockholm  alone,  there  are  said  to  be  preserved  near  twenty 
thousand  coins  issued  under  the  Caliphs.  Coins  have  been 
found,  also,  indicating  a  considerable  commerce  between 
England  and  Wisby,  from  959  to  1066.  In  the  twelfth 
century,  Wisby  was  in  high  prosperity.  Foreigners  from 
various  countries  were  settled  there,  having  their  own 
separate  churches,  built  with  much  splendor.  Great  ware 
houses  lined  the  streets,  and  her  wealth  was  famed  through 


WISBY.  369 

the  commercial  world.  One  church  is  yet  shown  which, 
tradition  says,  had  an  oriel  window  set  with  such  rich  pearls, 
that  they  shone  far  out  at  sea  to  the  approaching  sailor. 

In  the  thirteenth  century,  German  merchants  were  settled 
here  and  the  city  was  intimately  associated  with  Liibec  ; 
and  in  the  fourteenth  she  became  the  head  city,  and  some 
claim  the  founder  of  the  Hanseatic  League.  The  high- 
gabled  warehouses  show  still  the  evidence  of  the  German 
occupation  and  wealth. 

The  code  of  Mercantile  Laws,*  first  applied  by  the  Ger 
mans  and  Northmen  of  Wisby,  has  become  the  foundation  for 
the  European  code  of  Maritime  and  International  Law  since. 

The  decline  of  the  city  dates  from  its  beleaguerment  and 
sack  by  Waldernar,  King  of  Denmark,  in  1361.  After  this, 
its  rival  Liibec  and  its  enemies,  the  Danes,  sought  inces 
santly  to  injure  it ;  trade  found  new  channels,  and  the  city 
sunk  to  be  only  a  relic  of  what  it  had  been. 

A  curious  relic,  both  of  the  barbarism  and  the  uncon 
querable  spirit  of  that  race,  which  laid  the  foundation  of  its 
wealth  and  the  liberty  of  modern  days — the  Northmen — is 
shown  on  this  Island — a  suicide  cliff,  where  the  Norse  chief- 

*  Pardessus  and  other  French  writers  on  maritime  law,  following 
him,  do  not  hold  that  the  maritime  code  of  Wisby  originated  there. 
Their  theory  is,  that  this  code  was  a  compilation  of  all  the  local  com 
mercial  laws  among  the  mercantile  cities  of  the  Low  Countries,  and 
of  North  Europe — Wisby  among  the  number,  and  that  it  was  only 
Drought  forth  in  that  city. 

The  oldest  copies  are  in  Gothic  and  Low  German,  dating  near  1320. 
Good  editions  can  be  seen  in  the  Astor  Library,  New  York. 
16* 


370  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

tains,  who  were  in  danger  after  a  life  of  battles,  of  the  dis 
grace  of  dying  in  bed,  came  to  throw  themselves  off.  The 
Sagas  relate  that  it  was  often  thus  used.  Many  of  the  most 
interesting  relics  of  the  Scandinavian  museums  have  been 
found  on  this  island. 

There  is  great  need  of  a  thorough  description  of  Gottland 
— of  its  early  history  and  the  quaint  superstitions  and  cus 
toms  of  its  people  ;  its  antiquities  and  unequalled  architec 
ture.  There  is  nothing  of  value  so  far  as  I  know,  in  any 
language  on  it.  A  very  learned  gentleman  in  Wisby,  with 
great  taste  for  such  investigations — Mr.  Save — has  been 
collecting,  for  many  years,  the  material  for  such  a  work. 
The  only  difficulty,  probably,  will  be,  that  he  has  too  much 
material,  and  can  hardly  make  a  salable  book  for  general 
readers. 

During  my  visit  there,  I  was  very  hospitably  entertained 
by  a  Swedish  gentleman,  well  known  in  England,  Consul 
ENQUIST.  He  had  a  fine  place  without  the  city — the  house 
almost  like  a  chateau.  He  is  much  engaged  in  a  large 
enterprise  for  draining  a  tract  of  some  14,000  acres  within 
the  island  ;  4,000  have  already  been  made  cultivable,  and 
the  rest  is  yet  being  drained.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  ope 
rations  for  agricultural  improvement  in  Sweden.  Gottland 
is  a  ledge  of  encrinitic  lime-stone,  rising  up  unaccountably 
near  the  primitive  rocks  which  make  the- coast  of  the  penin 
sula,  and  naturally  has  an  excellent  soil  for  wheat.  The 
climate  is  much  milder  than  that  of  the  coast  near  by  ;  and 
the  grape,  chestnut,  and  mulberry  ripen  here  in  favorable 
situations,  though  the  island  is  in  the  latitude  of  the  north  of 


SCOTCH   FARMERS.  371 

Labrador — 57°  30'.  The  weather,  while  I  was  there  (in 
September),  was  like  our  most  beautiful  June  weather  in 
America,  a  soft  inild  air,  with  dreamy  blue  skies  and  a 
really  summer  heat  under  the  sun  at  noon-day. 

Among  the  institutions  of  Wisby,  which  I  visited,  were 
some  popular  schools  in  large  buildings,  well  supplied  with 
libraries  and  other  means  of  education.  I  saw  on  Sunday, 
a  school  of  young  working-men,  which  was  taught  gratui 
tously,  first  in  religious  matters  and  then  in  the  usual  secular 
instruction.  The  teachers  with  whom  I  became  acquainted 
were  all  men  of  culture.  There  is  one  large  bath-house  for 
the  people  on  the  principle  of  the  English  bathing  establish 
ments  for  the  poor.  In  leaving  the  place  on  the  steamboat, 
I  was  introduced  to  several  Scotch  farmers,  of  whom  some 
were  returning  to  Scotland,  and  others  had  already  settled 
on  the  island.  The  great  inducements  to  them  were  the 
cheapness  of  the  land — $4  to  $6  an  acre  for  a  good  wheat- 
raising  farm  being  a  common  price,  and  the  low  wages — 
$20  to  $30  per  annum,  with  board  ;  yet  they  did  not  seem 
very  well  satisfied.  They  felt  the  difficulty  which  always 
meets  such  experiments — the  impediments  from  the  spirit  of 
an  old  backward  society,  such  as  cannot  beforehand  be 
reckoned  in  figures  and  yet  which  hampers  every  new 
undertaking. 

My  last  view  of  the  picturesque  old  city  was  in  the  light 
of  a  rich  sunset.  The  broken  cornices  were  gilded  anew  ; 
the  harsh  outlines  of  dismantled  walls  softened  ;  the  ruined 
towers  filled  out  in  the  shaded  light,  and  the  upspringing 
lonely  arches  crowned  with  a  wonderful  glory. 


372  THE    NOES  E- FOLK. 

Gradually,  the  distinctive  objects  became  confused,  the 
buildings  were  masked  in  dark  shadows,  until  at  length  the 
low  island  itself  was  lost  in  the  splendor  of  the  waters  under 
the  evening  glow. 

From  Gottland,  we  steamed  down  the  coast  towards 
Kalmar.  It  is  a  most  interesting  reflection,  as  one  passes 
this  Swedish  coast,  that  at  this  day,  one  of  those  grand 
mysterious  internal  movements  of  the  earth,  which  raise 
continents  and  open  the  bed  of  oceans,  is  quietly  and  con 
tinually  going  on  here. 

As  early  as  the  beginning  of  1100,  Celsius  observed  that 
the  waters,  both  of  the  Baltic  and  the  Northern  ocean, 
were  constantly  sinking.  He  estimated  the  fall  to  be  40 
Swedish  inches  in  a  century. 

More  careful  and  comprehensive  observations  showed  the 
fact  to  be  that  the  land  was  rising.  In  1807,  Von  Buch, 
after  his  celebrated  tour  over  Norway,  expressed  his  con 
clusion  that  the  whole  country  was  rising — Sweden  more 
than  Norway,  and  the  northern  part  more  than  the  southern 
part.*  In  1834,  Sir  Charles  Lyell,  one  of  the  most  careful 
and  candid  of  the  observers  of  natural  phenomena,  compared 
the  marks  made  by  the  Swedish  officials  at  various  periods 
in  this  century,  on  the  coast  north  of  Stockholm,  and  con 
cluded  that  the  land  had  risen  4  or  5  inches  in  that  time, 
and  that  the  rise  diminishes  from  the  north  of  the  Gulf  of 
Bothnia  towards  the  south.  He  states,  what  every  travel- 

*  Von  Bucli — and  Lyell's  Principles  of  Geology,  vol.  ii.,  p.  402. 


GEOLOGIC    MOVEMENTS  373 

ler  must  confirm  as  true,  that  the  character  of  the  coast — 
consisting,  as  it  were,  of  two  lines  of  coast,  one,  the  shore, 
and  the  other,  a  series  of  broken  reefs  and  islets — makes  it 
peculiarly  easy  to  determine  whether  the  rocks  and  land 
marks  and  channels  have  changed.  The  rocks,  beside,  are 
of  gneiss,  mica-schist  and  quartz,  and  of  course,  less  likely  to 
lose  the  peculiar  aspect  which  make  them  familiar  to  the 
sailors  and  fishermen.  It  is  well  known  all  along  this  coast, 
that  many  islands  have  sprung  up  and  become  wooded,  and 
that  old  channels  are  become  filled  and  impassable. 

This  movement  of  elevation,  Lyell  supposes  to  go  on  over 
a  territory  some  thousand  miles  in  length,  from  Gottenburg 
to  Tornea,  and  thence  to  the  North  Cape,  and  extending 
several  hundred  miles  in  breadth,  far  into  the  interior  of 
Sweden  and  Finland.  The  evidences  of  it  are  numerous,  in 
the  change  of  the  height  of  waters,  in  the  disappearance  of 
old  landmarks,  and  especially  in  the  discovery  of  many 
deposits  of  sea-shell,  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  water,  and 
even  as  far  inland  as  TO  miles  from  the  present  shore — 
shells  of  the  same  genera  with  living  species  in  the  Baltic. 

The  appearance,  in  many  districts,  is  of  subsidence  and 
re-elevation.  While  all  the  centre  and  north  of  Sweden 
seems  thus  being  forced  gradually  by  tremendous  agencies 
from  beneath,  whether  of  heat  or  gases  or  galvanic 
action,  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  southern  part — 
Scania  and  the  country  we  are  passing — is  gradually  sink 
ing,  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  streets  of  several  of  the  old 
cities  nearest  the  water,  are.  now  submerged  ;  and  ancient 
streets  are  discovered,  many  feet  below  low-water  mark. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

KALMAR     AND     SMALAND. 

KALMAR  is  famed  in  Swedish  history  as  the  city,  where  for 
a  short  time  was  made  real  the  idea  of  Scandinavian  Unity. 
Four  centuries  and  a  half  ago  (1397),  the  three  kingdoms 
of  Denmark,  Norwaf,  and  Sweden  were  here  brought  un 
der  one  Queen.  Eighty -six  years  later,  the  Union  was  again 
renewed  in  this  place;  and  through  it  the  aristocracy 
reached  the  highest  power  which  they  have  ever  gained  in 
Sweden,  while  the  Danes  were  left  in  reality  the  masters  of 
the  country.  The  nation  was  finally  freed  from  the  tyranny  of 
foreigners,  by  the  heroic  exertions  of  Gustavus  Yasa. 

The  present  town  is  a  quiet,  quaint  Provincial  place,  con 
taining  about  7,000  inhabitants,  with  the  old  historic  castle 
still  standing,  where  these  great  events  occurred.  Among 
the  modern  changes,  a  German  has  opened  a  hotel  in  the 
principal  square,  which  is  a  great  improvement  on  the 
Swedish  houses  of  the  sort.  I  met  here  again  some  intelli 
gent  agreeable  men,  who  showed  me  much  kindness.  In 
general,  Kaimar  has  a  poor  reputation  for  cultivated  society. 
The  people  are  very  much  absorbed  in  business ;  and  there 
is  a  great  want  of  the  usual  Swedish  family  life.  Gentlemen 

874 


SOCIETY.  375 

live  at  their  club-rooms  or  billiard-rooms,  and  the  wives 
suffer  for  it  at  home.  It  struck  me  that  Miss  Bremer,  in 
her  pictures  in  Hertha,  of  woman's  inferior  position  and 
influence  in  Sweden,  must  have  had  in  mind  just  such  towns 
as  this.  And  yet  the  fault  is  very  much  with  the  women. 
They  have  not  the  wit  or  the  accomplishments  to  make  home 
more  attractive  than  any  thing  outside. 

I  was  desirous  to  see  some  of  the  characteristic  Smaland 
peasantry,  and  was  recommended  to  Dr.  V.,  as  one  of  the 
most  intelligent  Pastors  of  the  country,  who  could  put  me  in 
the  way  of  seeing  them.  His  reception  into  the  old  parson 
age  was  most  cordial,  and  he  himself,  with  his  pale,  intel 
lectual,  spiritual  face,  must  remain  to  me,  as  to  every  one 
who  has  enjoyed  his  acquaintance,  a  most  pleasing  memory. 
We  sat  under  the  old  beeches,  in  the  front  of  the  house,  all 
the  day  and  talked  ;  and  then,  in  company  with  his  Adjunct, 
visited  some  of  the  peasants.  During  the  day,  many  of  the 
people  came  up  to  consult  with  the  pastor — among  others,  a 
stalwart  young  peasant,  who  went  away  at  length  looking 
very  much  cast  down.  The  Doctor  explained — Some  years 
since,  the  mother  of  the  young  man  bought  him  a  fine  little 
farm.  As  he  was  still  a  minor,  she  could  not  register  it,  as 
the  law  requires  ;  afterwards  when  he  was  of  age,  she 
neglected  it.  Now,  after  having  labored  on  it  for  years,  and 
improved  it,  under  the  increased  value  of  all  such  property, 
the  original  owners,  who  had  discovered  the  mistake,  demand 
back  the  property,  on  the  ground  that  the  law  has  not  been 
fulfilled.  The  young  man  came  to  the  Pastor  as  his  legal 


876  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

adviser  in  the  matter.  The  Pastor  was  obliged  to  say  to 
him,  that  nothing  legal  could  be  done,  except  to  attempt 
to  recover  the  value  of  his  improvements.  He  himself  offered 
to  try  the  effect  of  a  moral  appeal  with  the  other  parties, 
though  with  little  hopes  of  success 

Tho  laws  on  woman's  holding  property  in  Sweden,  are 
even  .uore  strict  than  this.  The  Doctor  says,  that  an  un 
married  woman,  if  she  be  seventy  years  old,  can  not  hold 
property  in  her  own  name  ;  but  if  she  were  a  widow  at 
seventeen,  she  has  all  legal  rights  during  the  rest  of  her 
life.* 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  another  peasant,  with  a  down 
cast,  sneaking  look,  entered  the  yai  J,  and  was  taken  up  to 
the  Pastor's  study.  We  inquired  of  the  case.  "  Ack  1' 
said  Dr.  Y.,  speaking  German,  "  it  is  the  oath-taking  !"- 
We  looked  surprised.  "  You  should  know,"  he  added,  "  that 
sometimes  people  here  are  only  /^//-condemned,  or  half- 
acquitted.  For  instance,  if  there  be  but  one  witness,  or  the 
testimony  be  doubtful  in  character,  or  for  some  other  reason 
the  Judge  is  not  satisfied,  lie  half-acquits  him.  That  is,  before 
the  final  sentence  he  sends  him  to  his  clergyman,  and  after 
being  instructed  in  the  nature  of  an  oath,  he  takes  a  most 
solemn  oath  that  he  is  not  guilty.  If  he  refuses  to  receive 
the  oath  from  his  pastor,  it  is  strong  presumptive  evidence  in 
the  mind  of  the  Judge  that  he  is  guilty.  If  he  takes  it,  and 

*  In  the  Royal  Speech  during  this  last  winter  (1856-57),  one  of  the 
many  liberal  recommendations  was,  that  the  laws  in  regard  to  the 
minority  of  women  should  be  changed.  Miss  Breraer's  especial  object 
in  ffcrfha,  was  to  cause  a  reform  in  this  oppressive  legislation. 


AN    ARGUMENT.  377 

is  afterwards  proved  guilty,  he  is  liable  to  greater  punish 
ment.  I  have  such  persons  sent  to  me  constantly.  This 
Bonder  took  the  oath  in  a  quibbling  way,  which  I  shall 
report  to  the  Judge." 

"  But  how  do  you  account  for  such  a  custom  ?"  I  asked. 
"  What  has  the  clergyman  to  do  with  the  law  ?" 

"It  is  entirely  consistent,"  he  answered.  "You  are  to 
remember  that  with  us  the  State  and  the  Church  are  one. 
The  judge  and  the  pastor  are  both  officials  in  the  same 
organization.  The  sanctions  of  Religion  are  to  be  applied 
to  the  courts  of  justice,  as  much  as  to  the  more  immediate 
institutions  of  Religion." 

Seeing  that  he  was  philosophizing  on  a  favorite  topic, 
which  interested  me,  I  drew  him  out. 

"  Do  you  regard  Confirmation,  as  a  condition  of  civil 
rights,  in  the  same  manner  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Certainly,"  he  replied.  "  I  have  indeed  had  my  doubts, 
and  I  have  thought  much  on  the  subject,  but  let  me  explain. 
The  State  commences  as  a  Christian  State.  It  demands 
that  all  its.  members  shall  be  Christians.  For  this  purpose, 
it  enacts  that  all  who  wish  to  be  citizens  shall  pass  through 
the  outward  rites  of  our  sacred  religion.  Every  one  must 
be  baptized.  Then,  for  the  same  reason,  it  requires  that 
every  one  shall  be  instructed  and  approved  by  the  pastor, 
and  conformed  in  Christian  doctrine.  If  he  cannot  show  the 
evidence  of  this  instruction,  in  his  Schein  (confirmation- 
papers),  he  is  presumed  not  to  be  worthy  of  the  privileges 
of  citizenship.  You  see  our  stand-point  ?" 

"But  do  you  not  see,"  said  I,  "that  you  gain  no  real 


378  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

Christianity  by  tins  ?  You  get  outward  ceremonies,  and 
conforming — that  is  all.  And  more,  you  are  far  more  liable 
to  cultivate  hypocrisy  than  true  faith.  I  should  expect  a 
Church,  under  such  a  system,  to  be  lifeless." 

"  Ach!  Sie  haben  recht !  You  are  right.  Our  beloved 
Zion  is  almost  todt  (dead)  now.  But  that  is  the  result  of 
other  causes.  In  this  system  which  you  deplore,  we  at  least 
gain  that  every  man  and  woman  and  child  shall  be  in 
structed  in  the  principles  of  our  holy  Religion." 

"  I  would  not  discuss  here  the  subject  of  public  education 
in  Religion,"  I  answered,  "  but  in  our  view,  the  partaking 
of  the  Lord's-Supper  is  a  testimony  of  certain  states  of  the 
heart,  with  which  Law  can  have  nothing  to  do.  To  enforce 
it  under  civil  penalties,  is  to  command  the  faith  of  the  heart 
which  cannot  in  its  own  nature  be  a  subject  of  Law." 

"  Es  ist  ganz  recht  I  It  is  quite  true  !"  burst  in  one  of 
our  party,  Herr  T.,  a  very  generous,  impulsive  young  man. 
"  The  Herr  Americaner  has  hit  it.  I  confess  to  the  Herr 
Doctor,  I  suffer  from  this  every  year.  The  Herr  Doctor 
will  remember  that  I  was  confirmed  before  I  could  really 
understand  these  doctrinal  problems.  Now,  it  is  the  law 
that  I  must  attend  public  Communion  once  at  least  a  year. 
But  I  cannot.  I  do  not  care  for  it.  I  do  not  believe  all 
the  words  which  are  said  to  me  there.  And  yet  I  must.  If 
I  should  stay  away,  that  verfluche— pardon  I — that  infamous 
N would  inform  against  me,  and  I  might  lose  my  busi 
ness  and  be  fined  heavily  !  Is  that  right,  Hcrr  Doctor  ?  I 
am  a  hypocrite  1" 

The  Doctor  was  a  little  perplexed,  for  no  man  was  ever 


DISCUSSION.  379 

more  open  to  truth  than  his  pure  soul ;  but  for  the  time,  he 
took  refuge  in  the  easy  assertion  that  the  Herr  T.  should 
try  to  make  the  blessed  Abeudsmal  (Communion-Supper)  a 
reality  and  nourishment  to  himself,  and  then  the  yoke  would 
be  easy  and  the  burden  light  ! 

Our  host  was  anxious  to  know  what  had  been  the  effects 
of  the  separation  of  Church  and  State  in  America.  He 
had  the  same  general  views,  common  here,  of  the  sad  dis 
turbances  of  sects,  the  unworthy  rivalry  of  preachers  and 
the  growth  of  all  possible  heresies  in  America,  which  I  have 
before  described. 

I  gave  him  our  theory  of  the  office  of  sects. 

"  Yes/'  he  said,  candidly,  "  theoretically  that  is  true. 
We  are  many  limbs  in  one  body,  which  is  Christ.  That 
system  may  be  useful  for  the  young,  free  America.  It  will 
not  be  so  here — though,  alas  !  our  beloved  church  some 
times  here  seems  crumbling  in  its  walls.  It  is  true,  that 
the  pure  Faith  is  now  not  often  to  be  found  among  us." 

Here  our  young  friend  broke  in. 

"  I  have  told  Herr  B.  that  in  my  view,  not  for  centuries 
are  we  ready  for  Gewissens-freiheit — Freedom  of  Conscience. 
I  believe  in  a  Republic,  but  I  do  not  think  Sweden  fit  for 
it.  So  with  Freedom  of  Conscience.  When  we  have  a 
Republic,  then  will  we  have  all  sects  among  us  !" 

I  told  him  that  I  could  not  see  that  the  two  went  at  all 

necessarily  together.     The  liberty  to  worship  and  to  think 

on  religious  subjects,   and  to  express  and   organize  one's 

thoughts,  was  universal  and  eternal. 

~fi  But  look,  Herr  B.  !     See  these  Ldsare  now  !     I  detest 


380  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

them  !  See  what  vulgar,  hypocritical  fanatics  they  are  I 
We  used  to  be  quiet  here  in  Smaiand,  and  now  they  have 
turned  everything  upside  down.  The  next  thing  will  be 
your  Mormons,  and  forty  wives  to  each  man,  and  all  sorts 
of  disturbances.  No  ;  I  am  for  keeping  down  these  cursed 
fanatics  with  a  strong  hand.  Let  them  go  to  the  dev — , 
ahem — pardon !  Doctor  ! — America,  I  mean  !" 

I  will  not  follow  out  the  discussion.  Enough  is  given 
to  show  the  spirit.  Our  friend,  Mr.  T.,  is  one  of  the  "young 
Sweden"  .party — a  Reformer  and  Liberalist.  On  every 
other  matter  his  views  are  expanded  and  humane.  Though 
not  precisely  true  of  him,  yet  in  general  one  may  say,  that 
the  spirit  of  bigotry  has  its  peculiar  residence  in  Sweden. 
There  is  not  in  any  other  country  of  Europe,  so  far  as  I 
know,  so  narrow  and  persecuting  a  spirit — not  more  in 
Naples  or  Austria. 

"  Shall  we  visit  the  Bonders  ?"  said  the  amiable,  little 
adjunct. 

We  were  ready,  and  in  a  comical  bit  of  a  wagon,  rode 
out  in  the  woods.  The  groves  in  this  part  of  Sweden  are 
far  finer  than  in  the  North — the  elm,  the  oak,  and  the 
beech,  are  the  principal  trees.  We  came  first  to  a  small 
cottage,  just  at  the  outskirts.  There  was  but  one  large 
room  in  it,  neatly  kept,  but  with  an  air  of  destitution.  A 
laboring  man  and  his  wife  with  a  few  children  were  in  it. 
He  took  the  visit  in  good  part,  and  we  had  considerable 
conversation  on  crops  and  weather,  and  the  like.  Hearing 
that  I  was  from  America,  he  took  out  a  well-worn  card  of 


THE    "HEMMAN."  381 

Natural  History,  with  pictures  of  serpents  and  various  wild 
animals  of  the  tropics,  to  know  if  any  of  them  came  from 
my  country.  He  had  no  books  except  the  Bible  and  one 
religious  novel,  which  the  pastor  had  just  loaned  him.  The 
man  had  more  the  aspect  of  one  of  the  German  Bauer — 
the  peasants  of  the  Continent,  than  any  I  had  seen — as  of 
one  who  had  had  no  fit  opportunities  of  development. 

I  inquired  about  his  position,  and  heard  that  he  was 
the  tenant  of  a  "  Stamhemman." 

The  various  kinds  of  Hemman,  to  a  stranger  in  Sweden, 
are  utterly  confounding.  This  was  interpreted,  as  a  cottage 
belonging  to  the  pastorate  ;  in  this  case,  taken  from  the 
monks,  by  Gustavus  II.,  as  I  understood. 

Beside  this,  there  is  the  Krono-Hemman,  a  property  be 
longing  to  the  Crown,  but  farmed  by  a  peasant.  Then 
the  Krono  Skatte  Hemman,  an  estate  formerly  belonging 
to  the  Crown,  now  bought  free  from  the  rent  to  the  State, 
by  the  capitalization  of  its  rents  and  by  the  paying  of  high 
taxes.  Still  further,  the  Frdlse  Hemman,  that  is,  a  freehold 
liberated  from  the  customary  taxes  for  supporting  the  mili 
tary.  Formerly,  this  kind  of  privileged  freehold  could  only 
be  possessed  by  the  nobility,  as  a  reward  for  great  services. 
Since  1809,  all  classes  have  been  allowed  to  hold  them, 
and  the  peasants  have  bought  up  a  large  number  from  the 
decayed  gentry. 

Finally,  is  the  S'dteri  Hemman,  a  property  liberated  from 
still  other  taxes — in  some  cases,  as  an  encouragement  for 
making  improvements  thereon.  According  to  the  old  laws, 
the  taxes  of  a  province  were  divided  among  the  Hemman. 


382  THE    NoBSB-FoLK. 

A  district  must  provide,  for  instance,  six  oxen,  or  a  hundred 
hens  for  the  soldiery,  so  that  finally  on  the  tax  lists  a 
Hemman  would  be  found  charged  with  the  thousandth  part 
of  an  ox,  or  seven-eighths  of  a  hen,  or  nine-tenths  of  a  lamb. 
These  taxes  still  remain  in  form,  to  the  great  enjoyment 
of  humorous  antiquaries. 

We  visited  some  other  cottages  of  the  wealthier  peasants 
— houses  much  superior  to  any  of  this  class  in  the  North. 
They  were  usually  freehold  properties.  The  crops  were  the 
same  as  hitherto  mentioned,  with  the  exception  of  more 
wheat  and  occasional  fields  of  flax. 

We  chanced,  in  the  evening,  to  speak  of  the  habits  of  the 
people  with  respect  to  drinking,  and  I  heard  the  same  report 
here  as  in  other  provinces,  of  the  wonderful  improvement  in 
the  last  five  or  ten  years. 

A  gentleman  was  present  who  had  led  the  temperance 
movement  in  Southern  Sweden — Magister  STROM — and  who, 
against  much  obloquy,  had  at  length  in  Kalumr  carried  out 
preventive  measures  against  the  evil  which  has  so  cursed 
Sweden.  His  account  of  his  efforts  to  awake  public  atten 
tion — the  statistics — the  numeration  of  calamities  he  was 
obliged  to  set  forth — the  cry  of  fanatic  and  ultraist  aroused 
against  him — the  insult  and  almost  imminent  danger  of 
losing  his  business,  for  his  reformatory  measures — was  very 
interesting.  He  was  not  a  total-abstinence  man  or  for  the 
Maine  Law.  His  object  was  simply  to  limit  the  use  and 
sale  of  the  common  cheap  drinks  which  so  inevitably  degrade 
the  great  masses  of  the  people  addicted  to  them.  The 


LIQUOR-LAW.  383 

method,  as  adopted  in  Kalmar,  has  been  entirely  successful, 
and  deserves  consideration  by  our  reformers  in  America. 

The  main  feature  is  the  making  the  drink  too  expensive 
for  the  common  peasants.  .  This  is  done  by  allowing  no  one 
to  sell  liquors,  except  the  licensed  dealers.  These  are 
heavily  taxed  by  the  city — so  much  a  Kanna  (about  two 
quarts)  ;  and  it  is  assumed  that  no  seller  has  less  than 
eight  hundred  Kannar.  Then  no  one  is  allowed  to  sell  a  less 
quantity  than  a  Kanna.  If  he  does,  for  the  first  and  second 
offence,  he  is  exposed  to  very  heavy  fines  ;  and,  if  I  under 
stood  rightly,  to  imprisonment  for  the  third.  The  conse 
quence  is  that  brandy  which  used  to  be  twelve  skillings 
(four  cents)  for  two  quarts,  is  now  several  dollars  (Swedish). 

The  topers  with  small  means  cannot  get  their  usual 
draughts.  The  poor  peasants  must  club  together  to  obtain 
their  Kauua  of  brandy  ;  and  any  disorderly  conduct  on  the 
premises,  or  even  the  selling  the  liquor  to  women  and  chil 
dren,  is  considered  cause  sufficient  to  remove  their  license. 
A  volunteer  society  watches  these  liquor-shops  and  reports 
to  the  police,  and  carries  on  the  suits. 

The  measure  has  not  been  so  extreme  as  to  defeat  itself. 
Even  the  lower  classes — especially  the  women — begin  to 
like  it.  It  is  observed  that  the  potatoes  which  used  to  go 
to  whisky  are  now  eaten  ;  that  the  neighboring  districts  of 
Skania,  which  once  imported  wheat — so  much  was  their 
own  employed  in  distilling — now  have  enough  to  export. 
Crimes  and  distressed  cases  of  poverty  are  of  much  less  fre 
quent  occurrence.  The  lower  classes  of  the  city  have  a  dif 
ferent  aspect, 


384  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

For  my  own  part,  I  should  consider  such  measures  in  our 
American  cities  vastly  more  practical  and  probable  to  suc 
ceed,  than  any  entirely  preventive  laws.  The  great  difficulty 
with  us  would  probably  be,  that  what  a  man  wants  in 
America,  he  can  generally  afford  to  get.  We  could  not 
make  brandy  so  expensive  that  topers  would  not  buy  it. 
Still  we  could  control  somewhat  the  poorest,  and  the  indif 
ferent,  to  whom  the  price  would  be  an  object ;  and  we 
could  prevent  public  disorder  on  such  premises. 


CHAPTER     XXXI Y. 

A   COUNTRY   HOME. 

FROM  Dr.  V.'s  we  posted  on  to  the  house  of  a  gentleman 
of  distinction,  to  whom  I  had  been  kindly  recommended, 
whom  I  will  call  Mr.  X. 

Of  all  the  Swedish  homes  which  I  was  permitted  to 
visit,  and  whose  hospitality  I  enjoyed,  this  made  the  most 
agreeable  impression  on  me.  A  seat  of  repose,  of  refine 
ment  and  culture,  where  the  people  seemed  mated  to  the 
surroundings.  Here,  rank  and  high  position  had  not  les 
sened  the  spirit  of  genial  humanity,  or  cramped  the  activity 
of  the  intellect.  A  high-bred  Swedish  lady  is,  to  my  mind, 
the  perfection  of  that  kind.  She  has  the  settled  air  of  one 
accustomed  to  deference,  which  sits  so  well  on  many  of  my 
countrywomen,  and  something  of  their  best  culture  ;  she  has 
the  grace  of  the  Frenchwoman,  yet  with  a  certain  kind  and 
sweet  courtesy,  and  a  repose,  if  not  seriousness,  of  nature, 
which  belong  to  neither  the  Americans  nor  French.  Our 
ladies — and  it  is  more  true  of  the  English — are  not  usually 
kind  enough  in  their  courtesies  ;  a  certain  coldness,  or  re 
serve,  or  indifference,  restraining  them  too  much.  The  great 

11  885 


386  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

peculiarity,  it  seems  to  me,  in  the  manner  of  the  Swedish 
lady  of  the  higher  classes,  is  this  graceful  and  sweet  kind 
ness.  I  do  not  think  the  Swedish  women  are  remarkable 
for  beauty.  The  severe  climate  tells  on  the  wealthy  classes, 
and  those  of  the  lower  are  too  much  worked  for  preserving 
any  delicacy  of  traits.  The  ladies  have  often  the  slight, 
fragile  appearance  of  our  American  women,  but  nearly 
always  a  grace  and  ease  of  carriage,  which  quite  make  one 
forget  the  want  in  this  regard. 

As  I  have  remarked  before,  there  is  in  manner  and 
general  bearing  a  distinct  line  between  the  women  of  the 
middle  and  the  aristocratic  classes. 

A  common  phrase  about  the  Swedes,  repeated  in  all 
descriptions  of  them,  is  that  they  are  the  "  French  of  the 
North."  It  does  not  seem  to  me  true,  and  must  have 
taken  its  origin  in  superficial  resemblances,  and  in  another 
age.  There  is  a  tact  and  politeness  with  the  most  aris 
tocratic  classes,  which  is  somewhat  French.  They  use  the 
language  also  much,  and  in  the  last  century  were  much 
imbued  with  French  ideas.  But  the  essential  groundwork 
of  the  Swedish  nature,  is  anything  but  French.  They  are 
a  sober,  serious  people.  The  severe  skies  and  dark  forests 
of  evergreen,  and  their  Teutonic  blood  have  brought  forth 
a  solemn,  almost  superstitious,  temperament. 

There  is  much  ardor  and  force  apparent  in  all  classes, 
the  natural  accompaniment  of  their  vigorous  constitutions 
and  sanguine  habit  of  body.  But  with  this  always,  a 
certain  seriousness  or  religiosity,  not  a  poetic  sadness,  as 
in  the  Hungarian  temperament,  or  an  overstrained  ear- 


SWEDISH  TEMPERAMENT.  387 

nestness,  as  in  the  American, — but  a  soberness  as  from  a 
tendency  of  the  mind  to  fasten  on  unseen  and  spiritual 
phenomena.  This  too  being  a  matter  more  of  feeling  than 
of  reflection  ;  for  the  Nation  does  not  at  all  impress  you, 
as  do  the  Germans — as  a  people,  skeptical  or  given  to 
inquiring  into  spiritual  truths.  The  same  thing  is  true  of 
the  Norwegian,  though  not  to  so  great  a  degree.  The 
Norwegian  is  a  modern  democrat  by  the  side  of  the  Swede, 
the  old  aristocrat  ;  rough,  ready,  manly,  intelligent,  equal 
to  any  one  and  accustomed  to  battle  with  the  most  stern 
powers  of  nature.  The  Swede  is  more  refined,  courteous 
and  gentle,  with  more  of  poetry  and  superstition  clinging 
to  him,  but  still  with  the  old  Norse  power  in  him. 

I  confess  of  the  two,  the  Swede  is  to  me  the  more  inter 
esting,  though  by  no  means  the  more  valuable  to  the  world. 
Both  nations  are  essentially  inclined  to  superstition. 

My  friend's  house  was  on  the  outskirts  of  the  pine  forest. 
We  were  walking  under  the  barred  lights  and  shadows 
in  a  beautiful  September  afternoon,  and  spoke  of  these 
things.  I  mentioned  the  superstitious  experiences  which 
I  have  already  detailed,  in  the  old  castles  I  had  visited. 
"  These  are  nothing  new  Herr  B.,"  said  Mr.  X.,  in  Ger 
man.  "  I  do  not  think  out  of  every  ten  people,  you  could 
Find  one  who  had  not  encountered  such  adventures.  Before 
i  was  in  public  life,  I  was  a  great  deal  among  the  peas 
antry.  Many  and  many  a  night  have  I  been  called  up 
to  see  or  hear  the  spokeri  (witchcraft  or  ghostcraft).  The 
peasants  would  recount,  that  in  an  upper  room  they  had 


388  THENORSE-FOLK. 

distinctly  heard  the  spirits,  throwing  the  tin  vessels  and  the 
chairs  at  each  other — then  a  violent  struggle  between  the 
demons,  and  then  all  would  be  quiet.* 

"  At  other  times,  regular  steps  would  be  heard  passing  over 
the  floor,  or  lights  be  seen  ;  sometimes  the  cattle  and  horses 
are  attacked,  and  they  stamp  and  neigh  in  an  unaccountable 
manner.  I  always  went  at  once,  no  matter  at  what  hour  of 
the  night,  to  the  place  which  was  haunted,  to  break  up  the 
delusion  among  these  people.  Sometimes  in  an  attic  I  would 
find  a  cat,  sitting  quietly  in  one  corner  ;  sometimes  rats 
would  run  over  the  floor — more  generally  every  thing  was 
still,  and  there  were  not  the  slightest  signs  of  any  thing  being 
ino\7ed.  I  remember  a  singular  instance  of  this.  Sit  you  down 
while  1  draw  out  the  position  of  things."  He  then  marked  on 
the  sand  with  his  cane,  two  houses  at  the  ends  of  a  hypothenuse 
of  a  triangle.  "I  was  in  this  house,  you  see,  when  late  one  even 
ing  1  was  called  down  to  see  a  fearful  spooking,  in  the  other 
house  there  "  (pointing  to  the  other  end  of  the  line),  "  which 
had  been  long  uninhabited,  bright  lights  were  plainly  visible 
through  the  windows,  and  figures  of  men  and  women  were 
seen  passing  to  and  fro.  The  people  were  greatly  frightened. 
I  asKed  for  the  key,  and  against  their  strong  dissuasion, 
offered  to  go  over  to  the  haunted  house,  if  some  one  would 

*  The  old  historian  of  Sweden,  Glaus  Magnus,  thus  confirms  this. 
"  Of  the  hurts  done  by  the  devils.  In  the  Northern  parts  (where  the 
devil  hath  his  seat  really)  they  mock  the  people  that  live  there  with 
unspeakable  delusions,  under  various  forms,  and  do  them  hurt  also, 
throwing  down  their  houses,  killing  their  cattle,  spoiling  their  fields, 
making  a  desolation  of  castles  and  waters." 


"SPOOKING."  389 

accompany  me.  After  some  hesitation,  one  of  the  young 
peasants  consented,  and  we  walked  over  the  fields  to  the 
house.  We  reached  the  door,  but  the  lights  and  figures  had 
all  disappeared.  The  house  was  empty  and  dark.  I  put 
the  key  in  the  door,  and  it  sounded  with  a  hollow  reecho, 
as  in  an  empty  building.  We  went  into  both  rooms  where 
the  light  had  been,  but  everything  was  still  and  untouched. 
It  was  clear,  no  mortals  had  been  there  for  a  long  time.  I 
was  at  a  loss.  Of  the  figures  and  the  lights,  I  could 
not  have  a  doubt.  They  had  been  there.  At  length,  on 
going  back  to  the  room  where  the  brightest  lights  had  been, 
I  looked  out  of  the  window,  and  there  was  the  explanation  ! 
You  see  this  head  of  the  triangle — well,  there  was  a  cottage 
with  a  bright  open  fire  in  a  large  fire-place,  and  men  and 
women  were  passing  before  it.  The  reflection  first  struck 
full  on  these  windows,  while  some  inequality  of  the  ground 
prevented  its  being  seen  from  the  other  house.  Was  it  not 
a  good  instance  of  our  spijkeri  ?" 

Mr.  X.  has  taken  a  philosophic  interest  in  these  supersti 
tious,  and  investigated  them  somewhat  closely.  There  is 
often  a  deep  poetic  truth  in  them. 


THE    TOMTE. 

Two  peasants — so  believe  the  people — start  in  life  with 
equal  blessings  ;  each  has  his  rich  grain-fields,  his  patch  of 
wood,  his  red-house,  his  horses  and  cattle.  One  thrives  con 
tinually  ;  his  stacks  are  fuller  every  day,  his  crops  better, 
his  beasts  healthier,  his  house  more  protected  from  storm 


390  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

and  winter.  With  the  other  it  is  the  reverse.  The  roof 
leaks,  the  cows  die,  the  wheat  mildews,  the  hay  rots,  the 
land  grows  poorer. 

What  is  the  reason  of  the  difference  ?  Manifestly,  the 
first  has  his  Tomte,  or  little  attendant  spirit.  The  last  has 
offended  him.  The  Tomte,  as  all  know,  is  the  spirit  of  sonic 
poor  heathen  slave,  who  must  work  out  his  salvation  before 
doomsday.  He  is  a  repulsive,  deformed  little  fellow,  hardly 
larger  than  a  babe,  with  an  old  shrewd  face,  and  wear 
ing  a  red  farmer's-cap  and  grey  jacket  and  wooden 
shoes. 

One  of  the  peasants  had  seen  him  at  his  usual  time,  in 
the  noon  day,  dragging  wearily  along  an  oaten  straw  to  the 
stack,  or  one  ear  of  wheat  to  the  barns,  and  scorned  him 
and  railed  at  him,  saying  he  might  as  well  bring  nothing 
as  such  trifles.  Then  the  Tomte  went  sadly  to  the  other, 
and  he  grew  rich,  while  the  first  became  poor.  If  the 
Tomte  brings  only  an  acorn  to  the  barn,  no  one  must  des 
pise  him.  The  proverb  says,  "  The  woodman  holds  the  axe, 
but  the  Tomte  fells  the  tree." 

THE    PUKE. 

The  Puke  is  more  commonplace.  He  is  a  kitchen  elf, 
whose  excrements  are  frequently  seen  in  the  milk  kitchen. 
Certain  old  women  sell  themselves  to  the  devil,  in  order  to 
get  possession  of  these  elves,  for  then  they  will  have  milk 
and  cream  as  much  as  they  desire.  If  any  one  wishes  to 
discover  these  old  women,  he  will  burn  the  excrements 


SUPERSTITIONS.  391 

where  three  roads  meet,  with  bits  of  wood  from  nine  differ 
ent  trees,  and  then  they  must  appear. 

The  Swedish  superstitions  have  a  characteristic  tone  to 
them — a  more  sober  and  religious  element  than  the  supersti 
tions  of  other  European  peasantry.  This  is  particularly  true 
in  those  where  Heathendom  and  Christianity  are,  as  it  were, 
struggling.  The  mysterious  spirits  of  the  streams  and 
mountains  are  not  merely  fairies — creations  of  pleasant 
fancy.  They  are  the  unfortunates  who  did  not  enjoy,  in 
their  mortal  lives,  the  light  of  Christianity,  and  are  now 
awaiting  Redemption.  They  are  often  almost  despairing, 
and  even  the  passing  traveller  may  bitterly  wound  them,  by 
proclaiming  too  severe  condemnation  on  them. 

NECKEX.    : 

I  have  spoken  of  the  plaintive  melody  of  the  "Neckeu." 
This  being  appears  in  different  forms — sometimes  as  a  young 
man  with  beastly  extremities,  representing  the  power  of  ani 
mal  passion  which  has  brought  him  to  this  ;  sometimes  as 
an  old  man,  but  more  often  as  a  youth  playing  the  harp  on 
the  water.  The  best  offering  that  can  be  made  him,  is  a 
black  lamb,  especially  if  the  hope  of  eternal  salvation  be  at 
the  same  time  expressed.  Two  boys  once  said  to  Necken, 
"What  good  dost  thou  gain  by  sitting  here  and  playing? 
Thou  wilt  never  gain  eternal  happiness  !"*  whereat  he  wept 
bitterly. 

*  Svenska  Folk  Visor — quoted  by  Thorpe. 


392  THE    KORSE-FOLK. 

In  a  locality  of  West  Gothland,  a  Neck  was  heard  singing 
to  a  pleasant  melody  these  words — "  I  know — I  know — I 
know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth  !" 

THORPE  quotes  a  beautiful  story  of  the  Neck  : 

"A  priest  riding  one  evening  over  a  bridge,  heard  the 
most  delightful  tones  of  a  stringed  instrument,  and,  on  look 
ing  round,  saw  a  young  man,  naked  to  the  waist,  sitting  on 
the  surface  of  the  water,  with  a  red  cap  and  yellow  locks. 
He  saw  that  it  was  the  Neck,  and  in  his  zeal  addressed  him 
thus  :  '  Why  dost  thou  so  joyously  strike  thy  harp  ?  Sooner 
shall  this  dried  cane  that  I  hold  in  my  hand  grow  green  and 
flower,  than  thou  shalt  obtain  salvation.'  Thereupon  the 
unhappy  musician  cast  down  his  harp,  and  sat  bitterly  weep 
ing  on  the  water.  The  priest  then  turned  his  horse,  and 
continued  his  course.  But  lo  !  before  he  had  ridden  far,  he 
observed  that  green  shoots  and  leaves,  mingled  with  most 
beautiful  flowers,  had  sprung  from  his  old  staff.  This 
seemed  to  him  a  sign  from  Heaven,  directing  him  to  preach 
the  consoling  doctrine  of  redemption  after  another  fashion. 
He  therefore  hastened  back  to  the  mournful  Neck,  showed 
him  the  green  flowery  staff,  and  said  :  '  Behold  how  my  old 
staff  is  grown  green  and  flowery,  like  a  young  branch  in  a 
rose-garden  ;  so  likewise  may  hope  bloom  in  the  hearts  of 
all  created  beings,  for  their  Redeemer  liveth  !'  Comforted 
by  these  words,  the  Neck  again  took  his  harp,  the  joyous 
tones  of  which  resounded  along  the  shore  the  whole  livelong 
night." 

It  was  characteristic  that  while  talking  over  these  super 
stitions  with  Mr.  X.,  our  young  friend  with  us,  Mr.  T.,  vol- 


MODES    OF    LIFE.  393 

unteered  a  confession  of  no  less  than  two  most  astonishing 
supernatural  experiences  which  he  had  met  with — one  being 
the  reappearance  of  the  spirit  of  a  lost  friend,  and  the  other 
the  apparition  of  a  dog  !  Both  he  implicitly  believed. 

The  whole  mode  of  life  at  my  friend's  was  extremely 
comfortable  and  agreeable.  Breakfast  was  at  nine,  dinner  at 
three,  and  supper  at  eight  in  the  evening.  The  house  was 
a  long  one,  and  nearly  the  whole  family  lived  on  the  ground 
floor.  There  was  a  pleasant  garden,  in  which  we  often 
walked.  The  service,  housekeeping  and  management  was 
of  the  most  quiet,  refined  description.  I  had  some  com 
paring  with  Lady  X.  of  the  wages  of  servants.  For  her 
chamber-maids  she  pays  about  twelve  dollars  a  year,  and 
that  is  liberal.  The  footmen  and  coachmen  earn  about 
double  this.  Two  thousand  dollars  would  be  reckoned  a 
handsome  income  for  a  judge  or  even  a  bishop.  The  com 
mon  expenses  here  for  food,  rent,  etc.,  are  wonderfully  small, 
compared  with  the  American. 

There  were  endless  inquiries  after  our  modes  of  life  in 
America.  Hearing  of  the  tyranny  of  conventionalities 
already  beginning  with  us,  a  gentleman  present  related  his 
struggles  in  one  of  the  Swedish  cities.  He  had  small 
means,  and,  as  be  was  about  to  be  married,  he  determined 
to  arrange  matters  very  moderately.  He  accordingly  in 
duced  his  lady  to  put  the  ceremony  in  the  morning,  and 
invited  only  a  few  friends,  with  a  simple  refreshment.  The 
thing  was  town-talk  for  a  month  ;  and  people  could  hardly 
agree  that  there  had  been  a  proper  marriage. 

17* 


394:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

When  his  first  child  was  christened,  in  place  of  a  grand 
feast  and  numerous  sponsors,  he  only  asked  one  or  two  inti 
mate  friends,  and  had  a  glass  of  wine.  This  too  was 
thought  an  extraordinary  eccentricity. 

I  had  much  talk  with  Lady  X.  on  the  position  of  woman 
in  the  higher  classes  here.  She  says  that  even  with  the 
wealthy,  the  household  demands  much  more  personal  care 
than  in  England  or  other  countries.  So  much  is  made  and 
produced  on  the  estate  always,  that  greater  supervision  is 
necessary.  She  thinks  there  has  been,  within  a  few  years, 
great  progress  among  the  ladies  in  the  ideas  of  their  higher 
duties — especially  those  towards  the  poor.  It  seems  the 
same  problem  here  as  all  the  world  over,  for  the  woman  to 
systematize  time,  so  that  duties  to  herself  and  to  her  family 
and  to  the  world,  may  not  conflict. 

****** 

Mr.  X.,  gratifying  my  hobby  of  studying  the  condition  of 
the  peasantry,  has  taken  me  to  some  of  the  Smaland  Bon 
ders.  The  first  one  whom  we  proposed  to  visit,  had  some 
office  in  the  parish,  and  lived  in  a  very  comfortable  style. 
His  house  was  a  large  two-story  house,  like  a  well-to-do 
farmer's  at  home,  approached  by  a  winding  road.  We 
knocked  and  groped  about  for  some  time,  without  effect, 
until  at  length  the  mistress — a  common-looking  laboring 
woman — came  forth.  The  husband  was  away,  but  we 
could  see  the  house.  The  building  and  furniture  were 
new — the  latter  mostly  of  birch,  and  quite  as  good  as  in  a 
Connecticut  farm-house.  In  one  room  was  a  writing-desk, 
with  protocols  and  papers  on  it,  and  newspapers  hanging 


AN    ALDEKMAN.  395 

filed  near  by.  In  another,  were  the  pictures  of  Luther  and 
of  Swedish  heroes.  There  were  a  number  of  sitting  and 
bed-rooms,  besides  one  large  ball-room. 

Xo  books,  however,  were  to  be  seen.  I  had  visited  no 
peasants'  houses,  since  those  near  Gottenburg,  showing  the 
owner  in  so  comfortable  a  position.  The  fact  is  important, 
historically,  in  the  condition  of  this  great  class. 

The  next  visit  was  to  a  Bonder,  who  was  an  alderman  of 
the  village.  He  lived  in  a  three-story  wood  house,  with  a 
large  farm  about  it.  His  reception  of  us  was  very  friendly. 
He  brought  forth  a  bottle  of  some  sort  of  cordial  and  some 
curious  little  cakes,  which  he  almost  forced  upon  us.  The 
house  was  even  more  comfortably  furnished  than  the  other. 
He  owned  eighty  or  ninety  cows,  eight  or  ten  horses,  and 
six  pairs  of  oxen.  There  was  a  large  threshing-machine  on 
one  of  the  barns,  and  an  American  plough  in  the  yard.  He 
had  been  draining  and  under-draining  his  whole  farm.  He 
had  heard  of  the  American  reaping-machines,  and  thought 
they  would  be  just  the  things  for  Sweden.  After  being 
quietly  seated,  we  had  a  long  conversation. 

I  asked  him  whether  he  thought  the  "  House  of  Peasants" 
would  be  in  favor  of  railroads  in  the  next  session.  He 
thought  they  would,  though  many  took  a  long  time  to  see 
the  necessity  of  them.  He  should  advocate  the  govern 
ment's  making  a  permanent  loan  to  the  companies,  receiving 
a  regular  interest,  as  from  a  bank. 

I  spoke  of  a  reform  in  Representation.  "  For  my  own 
share,"  he  answered,  "  I  should  have  no  objection  to  a 
change,  and  I  should  prefer  to  bring  in  the  other  classes. 


396  THE    NossE-F.oLK . 

There  is  no  reason  why  Herr  X.,  or  any  one  owning  land, 
should  not  vote  with  us  and  act  in  our  House,  as  well  as  we. 
And  I  am  sure  that  it  would  be  better  for  us,  as  we  should 
gain  some  good  speakers  and  men  of  business.  Now  we 
often  have  very  poor  Houses.  Still  many  of  our  Bonders 
will  be  jealous." 

I  found  him  equally  liberal  and  enlightened  on  the  subject 
of  schools.  He  felt  the  country  to  be  far  behind  in  that 
respect,  and  he  hoped  that  his  House  would  help  on  the 
measures  for  popular  education. 

We  asked  him  about  books — what  he  had  ?  He  seemed 
scarcely  to  have  any  ;  seldom  read  any  thing  but  the  news 
paper  and  the  Bible.  He  had  heard  of  the  tremendous 
contest  in  America,  and  understood  the  question :  was 
proud  that  Sweden  would  not  allow  a  slave  on  her  soil. 

His  manner  in  the  conversation  was  not  at  all  so  obsequi 
ous  or  diffident  as  one  generally  sees  in  the  Bonders  towards 
those  of  the  other  classes.  He  had  his  own  views,  and  evi 
dently  did  not  fear  to  utter  them. 

THE    MAGAZINE. 

In  riding  back  to  the  house,  we  passed  a  large  brick 
building,  near  the  parish-church.  On  inquiring,  I  learnt 
that  it  was  the  Parish  Magazine.  That  is,  under  a  remark 
able  socialistic  arrangement,  the  people  are  obliged  to  bring 
thither  certain  small  proportions  each  year  of  their  crops. 
This  grain  is  kept,  and  when  a  year  of  bad  crops  comes,  it 
is  loaned  out  at  a  certain  interest — paid  in  grain — to  the 


VILLAGE    SCHOOL.  397 

members  of  the  parish  ;  or,  if  any  are  absolutely  suffering 
from  want,  it  is  given  ;  and  thus  it  becomes  a  kind  of  per 
manent  social  institution  for  the  help  of  the  parish.  Similar 
storehouses  exist  through  all  Sweden. 

One  difficulty  in  making  public  provision  for  the  public 
poor  in  Sweden,  lies  in  the  internal  organization  of  the  coun 
try.  There  are  no  Provincial  Legislatures  or  Assemblies. 
The  only  administrative  bodies  are  the  Parish  meetings  ;  so 
that  it  sometimes  happens,  that  a  petty  matter,  which  belongs 
exclusively  to  the  district,  will  go  through  several  instances 
even  to  the  king.  This  is  the  case  with  matters  of 
pauperism. 

Sweden  needs  two  great  changes  in  her  internal  adminis 
tration.  First,  a  more  permanent,  active  representation  of 
her  parishes  (Socknar),  which  shall  have  the  character  of, 
but  be  more  efficient,  than  the  present  Socken-stamma 
(Parish-meeting) ;  and  second,  a  representation  of  counties 
(Lan). 

We  stopped  on  our  way  home  at  the  village  School.  It 
was  held  in  a  very  neat-looking  dwelling-house,  the  other 
part  of  which  was  occupied  by  the  teacher's  family.  The 
children  looked  singularly  pale  and  feeble,  as  much  so  as  the 
poorest  in  our  Charity  Schools  at  home.  They  were,  I 
learned,  the  children  of  poor  laborers,  who  at  this  season, 
did  not  have  much  good  food.  The  Teacher  was  putting 
thorn  in  a  dreary  way  through  the  unfailing  Catechism.  (I 
ought  to  remark  here,  that  I  do  not  remember  ever  to  have 
entered  a  popular  School  in  Sweden,  where  this  species  of 


398  THENORSE-FOLK. 

religious  tongue-exercise  was  not  going  on.)  Each  boy 
droned  over  the  replies,  as  he  would  over  a  definition  in 
chemistry.  Truths,  which  if  believed,  would  rend  human 
society  as  a  rotten  web  ;  Facts  which  are  the  echo  of  the 
grandest  experience  that  man  has  yet  worked  out  ;  Defini 
tions  upon  which  the  most  acute  minds  of  all  ages  have  in 
cessantly  differed,  were  sung  sleepily  over  by  these  children, 
and  thus,  as  the  catalogue  says,  they  were  "  taught  Re 
ligion  .'" 


Library.  J 


CHAPTER   XXXY. 

THE    RIDE    TO     CARLSCRONA,   AND   THE    FLEET. 

WE  stopped  first  at  a  very  handsome  place,  V ,  the 

property  of  Capt.  M . 

This  is  the  old  estate  of  the  Oxenstiern  family,  famous  in 
Swedish  history.  It  had  the  only  real  park  I  have  yet  seen  on 
a  private  property  :  a  grove  of  magnificent  oaks,  and  beeches, 
broken  up  with  knolls  and  lawns,  and  little  lakes  and  arbors, 
stretching  down  to  the  very  shores  of  the  sea.  It  is  laid  out 
in  the  best  English  style.  The  owner,  a  hearty  hospitable 
soldier,  took  us  over  it,  showing  with  much  pride  the  grand 
trees.  Some  were  as  fine  as  any  in  our  American  forests. 
Only  a  few  elms  were  to  be  seen  ;  the  trees  were  principally 
knotty  oaks,  with  rich  foliage,  and  the  compact,  clean,  mus 
cular  beech,  with  its  twinkling  little  leaves.  As  is  usual,  an 
orangery  and  conservatory,  were  in  one  part  of  the  grounds. 
The  European  chestnut  begins  here  to  grow  in  the  open  air. 

The  house  or  Hall  is  a  quiet  unpretending  building,  with 
large  old  halls  and  chambers.  We  spent  some  time  exam 
ining  the  paintings,  of  which,  the  collection  though  small,  is 
valuable.  The  choicest  were  some  pieces  of  the  Holland 
school. 

899 


400  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

Our  reception  in  the  family  was  kind  and  hospitable.  We 
dined  with  them  ;  the  table  was  served  in  the  usual  Swedish 
style,  with  much  simplicity,  for  people  occupying  such  a 
position. 

CARLSCRONA 

We  found  here  a  very  good  inn,  and  after  a  comfortable 
night's  rest,  proceeded  to  see  the  great  attraction,  the  dry- 
docks  and  the  shipping.  The  town  itself  is  a  pleasant  one, 
with  the  air  of  a  fortified  or  military  station. 

Two  young  noblemen,  officers,  to  whom  we  had  letters, 
accompanied  us,  and  were  very  polite  #nd  attentive.  They 
both  spoke  English,  and  had  visited  America  as  common 
sailors.  Many  of  the  officers,  they  say,  serve  in  foreign 
marines  for  the  sake  of  the  experience,  and  some  even  in  the 
merchant  service.  We  found  five  new  frigates  in  dock,  and 
we  went  aboard  of  one  line-of-battle  ship,  the  Carl  Johan, 
fitted  with  a  screw  propeller.  Our  officers  complained  much 
of  want  of  service.  They  had  hoped  for  a  brush  with  Russia. 
The  service  is  overrun,  they  say,  with  young  men  from  the 
noble  families,  who  merely  come  in  to  find  a  berth,  without 
really  taking  an  interest  in  their  profession. 

SWEDISH    FLEET. 

The  force  is  1300  guns,  on  10  two-decked  line  of  battle 
ships,  6  frigates,  4  corvettes,  3  brigs,  100  gunboats  (schoon 
ers),  125  other  boats,  7  mortar-boats,  9  steamers,  21  mes 
senger  vessels. 

Personnel. — 228  officers,  35  marine  regiment  officers,  280 


SWEDISH    MARINE.  401 

petty  officers,  40  non-commissioned  officers,  255  boys,  400 
apprentices,  150  gunners,  800  marine  soldiers,  5694  seamen 
(furnished  from  naval  militia),  2427  extra  seamen,  25,000 
conscripts  (liable  to  service  in  time  of  war),  2500  merchant- 
seamen  (similarly  liable). 

Officers. — 1  admiral,  1  vice-admiral,  13  rear-admirals,  5 
commodores,  10  commodore  captains,  20  commanders,  60 
captain-lieutenants,  60  first  lieutenants,  60  second  lieuten 
ants,  30  supernumerary  lieutenants. 

MINISTRY    OF    MARINE. 

In  Sweden,  the  Minister  of  Marine  is  member  of  the 
Council  and  the  Cabinet,  and  adviser  of  the  king  in  naval 
matters.  He  issues  the  Royal  orders,  and  has  chief  com 
mand  in  the  na.vy,  and  makes  all  appointments,  high  or  low. 

There  are  two  bureaus  in  this  ministry.  One  for  affairs 
before  the  Council  of  State,  called  "  Bureau  of  Office  Af 
fairs,"  the  other  for  affairs  of  ordinance,  called  "  Bureau 
of  Command."  The  chief  of  the  first  may  be  a  civil  officer, 
appointed  by  the  king  ;  the  chief  of  the  second  must  be  a 
naval  officer. 

Under  the  care  of  the  Ministry  of  Marine  is  an  institu 
tion,  called  "  Administration  of  Marine  Affairs,"  which  is 
in  the  form  of  a  College,  and  consists  of  a  chief  (an  ad 
miral),  two  other  superior  officers  of  the  navy,  and  one 
member  of  the  civil  service. 

This  is  subdivided  thus  :  1.  Bureau  of  Construction  ; 
2.  Bureau  of  Pilots  ;  3.  Bureau  of  Maritime  Charts  ;  4.  Bu 
reau  of  Accounts, 


402  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

The  duties  of  Naval  College  are,  general  inspection  of 
naval  affairs,  control  of  pecuniary  means,  of  material  and 
of  workmen  at  all  stations,  superintendence  of  naval  esta 
blishments,  purveying  of  clothing  and  provisions,  hydro- 
graphical  operations,  pilots,  lights-houses  and  signals. 

Corps. — Officers  of  navy,  officers  of  construction,  officers 
of  mechanicians,  sub-officers  of  marine,  with  sailors,  work 
men,  and  coast-guard. 

Budget  (1853). — $571,700  per  annum,  voted  at  every 
Parliament  for  three  years. 

Education  is  obtained  at  the  Military  School  at  Carls- 
berg.  A  corvette  with  fourteen  young  officers  is  annually 
sent  out  on  an  expedition  for  ten  months,  to  train  for 
service. 

THE    MERCANTILE    MARINE. 

In  1840,  the  Parliament  made  an  appropriation  of  $4,000 
per  annum  for  naval  schools,  which  they  subsequently  in 
creased  to  $5,500  for  the  purchase  of  books  and  instru 
ments.  The  Terms  are  from  May  to  October.  At  the  end 
of  each,  examination  qualifies  for  masters  and  mates  of 
1st  and  2d  class. 

Masters  of  l^t  class  can  command  in  all  seas.  Masters 
of  2d  class  can  only  sail  to  European  and  Mediterranean 
ports.  No  mate  can  sail  beyond  the  Baltic  without  passing 
two  examinations. 

One  of  the  most  useful  and  practical  naval  institutions 
in  Sweden  is 


THE    SEAMAN'S    HOUSE.  403 


THE  SEAMAN'S  HOUSE. 

Each  port  must  have  one,  under  the  government  of  a  com 
mittee,  a  magistrate  and  a  sea  captain,  called  Director.  The 
duties  of  the  director  are  to  register  all  vessels  belonging  to 
the  town,  to  control  their  certificates,  to  see  that  they  pay 
the  poor-rates  to  the  community,  to  provide  that  every  vessel 
leaving  port  be  duly  provisioned  and  manned,  to  settle  petty 
differences,  register  apprentices,  give  a  list  of  crews,  and  to 
see  that  they  are  regularly  paid  off  in  proper  proportion. 
He  is  also  charged  with  the  promotion  of  sailors,  according 
to  their  merits.  When  a  commander  wants  a  crew,  he 
goes  to  the  Seaman's  House,  and  chooses  maces  and  men 
in  presence  of  the  Director.  The  latter  makes  a  list  of 
the  crew,  on  which  every  person  writes  his  name.  After 
this,  the  captain,  mates,  and  men  are  mustered  at  the  Town 
Hall,  and  swear  in  the  presence  of  the  magistrate  to  obey 
the  navigation  laws,  etc.,  etc.  The  list  is  signed  by  the 
magistrate,  and  from  that  moment,  the  crew  belong  to  the 
ship  for  the  time  and  distance  agreed. 

When  a  crew  is  paid  off  from  a  ship,  the  Director  of 
the  "House"  musters  them  in  presence  of  the  commander, 
and  receives  them  back  from  his  hands. 

Every  seaman  enrolled  in  the  Seaman's  House  is  freed 
from  conscription,  except  in  war,  when  he  is  bound  to 
serve  in  the  royal  navy,  if  called  upon,  having  the  usual  pay.* 

*  These  statistics  and  facts  have  been  gathered  by  the  Hon.  F. 
Schroeder,  Minister  at  the  Swedish  Court,  and  furnished  to  the  author, 


404  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

It  appears  from  all  this,  that  in  the  education  of  a  Swe 
dish  seaman,  knowledge  of  a  ship's  husbandry,  the  stowage 
of  cargo,  exchange,  etc.,  etc.,  is  reckoned  a  necessary  part. 
The  Seaman's  House  also  gives  great  facilities  for  ascertain 
ing  the  character  of  both  crew  and  commanders  on  the  mer 
chant  ships.  There  is  less  probability  of  tyranny,  or  of 
mutiny,  with  such  an  arrangement.  Many  of  the  first  class 
merchant-vessels  are  commanded  by  Lieutenants  of  the 
Navy,  who  take  the  place  for  the  sake  of  the  experience 
gained.  *  *  * 

BLEKING. 

Sept. . — The  ride  south  from  Carlscrona  is  a  beauti 
ful  one.  It  is  like  journeying  through  a  park  ;  the  land 
scape  is  a  gently  undulating  country,  with  scattered  groves 
of  oaks  and  beeches.  The  crops  look  finely,  and  the  grass  is 
more  rich  than  any  I  have  yet  seen  in  Sweden.  With  a  rich 
afternoon  sun-light  gleaming  across  through  the  branches, 
and  the  distant  aspects  of  the  sea,  it  makes  a  ride  to  be  re 
membered.  Posting  is  now  very  agreeable.  I  obtained  in 
Kalmar,  an  easy  old  carriage,  looking  like  a  cast-off  family 
chariot,  which  moves  on  very  comfortably,  so  that  in 
uninteresting  districts  we  can  post  all  night.  At  every 
Station,  usually  once  in  seven  miles,  we  get  a  fresh  pair 
of  horses.  The  carriage  is  to  be  sent  back  by  steamer 
from  Malrao.  A  gentleman  from  Kalmar  has  kindly  offered 
to  accompany  as  guide  and  travelling-companion.  We  sent 
on  orders  for  horses  at  certain  hours,  and  as  usual,  are  some 


SCANIA.  405 

two  hours  or  more,  too  late,  so  that  at  every  station,  we 
pay  wait-money  ;  a  thing  which  slightly  exasperates  my  com 
panion,  though  I  bear  it  philosophically.  We  are  now  in 
Bleking,  the  outskirts  of  the  old  Danish  kingdom  of  Scania 
or  Skonia,  the  provinces  which  have  so  often  been  lost  and 
regained  in  Swedish  history.  Here  flourished  the  first  Nor 
thern  civilization  and  commerce,  when  Germany  and  Jutland 
were  covered  with  dense  forests.* 

Smaland  separated  this  kingdom  from  its  enemy  and 
rival  on  the  North,  Gothland. 

They  tell  us  that  even  yet,  the  feud  rages  between  the 
Blekingers  and  the  Smalanders.  The  only  traces  one  can 
see  of  the  Danish  influence,  are  the  high  thatched  peaked 
roofs  of  the  cottages,  and  the  smaller  number  of  out-houses 
— both  of  which  are  peculiarities  of  Holsteiu  at  this  day,  as 
compared  with  North  Sweden.  The  accent  of  the  people  is 
decidedly  different. 

I  was  never  so  impressed,  as  on  this  whole  Swedish  jour 
ney,  with  the  multitude  among  men  of  the  workers  in  the 
groun  1.  We  speak  of  the  scholars  and  gentlemen  and 
ladies  as  the  important  class,  and  in  one  view  they  are.  But 
after  all,  what  mere  exceptions  are  the  rich  and  the  cul 
tured,  if  one  considers  the  great  masses  of  humanity.  The 
millions  in  all  ages  and  countries,  have  belonged  to  the 
ground,  have  tillecT,  and  sown,  and  reaped  in  weariness  and 
much  toil.  When  we  think  of  the  world,  it  should  not  be 
as  a  world  of  shopmen,  or  priests,  or  gentlemen,  but  as  a 

*  Geijer. 


406  THE    NoBBB-FoLK. 

world  of  weary,  begrimed,  toilsome  workers  in  the  old 
mother  Earth. 

This  is  the  rich  part  of  Sweden.  From  these  provinces 
she  begins  to  export  her  wheat,  though,  but  a  few  years  ago, 
she  never  raised  enough  for  her  own  consumption.  This 
prosperity  is  partly  due  to  improved  agriculture,  arfd  partly 
to  the  fact  that  the  wheat  is  so  much  less  used  for  dis 
tilling. 

Sweden,  owing  to  the  bad  system  of  culture,  has  always 
had  a  difficulty  in  supporting  her  population  on  her  own 
grains.  In  ancient  times,  many  a  king  has  been  immolated 
or  murdered  after  a  bad  harvest.  It  was  this  cause  un 
doubtedly,  which  sent  off  so  many  of  her  sons  in  the  early 
piratical  expedition  of  the  Vikings. 

One  of  our  drivers  to-day  was  the  ownei  of  the  horses, 
and  a  wealthy  Bonder.  He  was  a  Secretary  of  the  Parish- 
meeting,  and  my  companion  always  addressed  him  by  his 
title.  We  were  both  much  struck  with  the  number  of 
drunken  people  we  had  met,  both  in  Carlskrona  and  the 
neighborhood — more  than  I  had  seen  in  all  the  rest  of 
Sweden.  Our  driver  explained  it  from  the  influence  of  the 
sailors  at  the  city,  and  from  the  fact  that  there  were  no 
local  laws  to  prevent  it,  as  in  Kalrnar  and  other  places. 
The  tax  fixed  by  government  could  not  in  this  region  quite 
put  an  end  to  distilling,  though  it  had  much  checked  it. 

"  Does  Herr  Socken  Skrifvaren  know  of  much  emigra 
tion  to  America  from  these  parts  ?"  said  my  companion. 

"  Many  hundreds  from  my  village,"  ho  answered.    "  Fools  ! 


A    DRIVER.  407 

they  could  do  much  better  at  home.  Sweden  wants  every 
one  now.  But  it  is  this  cursed  L'dseri  (Methodism)  !" 

"  Why,  how  is  that  ?  What  have  Ldsarne  to  do  with 
it  ?" 

"  They  turn  every  one  npside  down,"  he  answered.  "They 
make  disturbances  and  break  the  law,  and  then,  Herr 
Resande  (traveller)  knows,  they  must  be  punished  ;  and  so 
they  go  to  carry  on  their  accursed  doings  in  America. 
Forbanna  dem  !  Damn  them  !" 

"You  see,"  said  my  companion,  "no  one  believes  in 
Ldsarne  here." 

"  But  will  Herr  Socken  Skrifvaren  tell  us,  if  these  men 
are  really  immoral  ?"  I  asked.  He  was  obliged  to  own 
that  they  were  not,  so  far  as  he  knew — though  he  had 
heard  they  had  night-dances  naked  together,  and  certainly 
they  did  not  believe  in  the  holy  Church  ! 

My  companion  then  inquired  for  me,  of  his  opinions 
of  his  pastor.  His  replies  were  substantially  the  same 
which  we  hear  everywhere,  and  fully  justified  the  Ldsarne. 
A  selfish,  grasping,  worldly  man,  who  had  gone  into  his  pro 
fession  for  the  purpose  of  getting  a  comfortable  living: — so 
he,  in  effect,  pictured  his  spiritual  guide.  This  fact  and  the 
Methodism  he  did  not  put  together  at  all  ;  and  we  did  not 
press  him  on  the  conclusion. 


CHAPTER     XXXVI. 

CASTLE    L . 

I  HAVE  just  been  over  Castle  L ,  the  property  of  a 

gentleman  whom  I  have  been  visiting.  The  family  resides 
in  the  summer  at  a  country-seat  among  the  trees,  a  few 
miles  distant,  and  our  host,  Count  X.,  has  driven  us  over  to 
see  the  old  castle.  All  this  part  of  Sweden  is  a  perfectly 
level  plain,  sprinkled  with  innumerable  boulders  and  small 
stones,  which  have  been  brought  here  from  some  dis 
tance.  The  castle  is  built  in  the  midst  of  this  plain,  begirt 
with  a  moat  and  some  pleasant  old  gardens,  and  a  few  large 
trees,  carefully  planted  and  guarded.  The  building  is  a 
turreted  brick  structure,  with  somewhat  of  the  pointed 
Gothic  in  the  style,  built  around  three  sides  of  a  square.  It 
has  been  burned  and  rebuilt  three  times,  and  the  Count 
showed  us  yet  in  the  doors  the  bullet-holes  from  the  last 
attack,  made,  if  I  understood  correctly,  by  an  assault  of  the 
Danes  in  the  Middle  Ages. 

With  all  the  antique  appearance  of  the  outside,  the 
rooms  within  are  light,  cheerful,  modern  apartments.  The 
floors  are  the  parquette  flooring  of  different  woods,  with 
rugs  or  pieces  of  ricli  carpet  in  the  centre. 

408 


CASTLE-FUKNITUKE.  409 

The  ornaments,  bas-reliefs  and  small  objects  of  art  are 
graceful  and  pleasing.  The  paintings  are  principally  por 
traits.  One  of  the  saloons  is  crowded  with  them,  making  a 
history  of  its  walls.  The  family  is  an  old  Swedish  family  of 
distinction,  and  below  each  picture  are  names  loaded  with 
historic  titles.  My  companion,  who  is  familiar  with  the 
detail  of  Swedish  annals,  calls  up  something  about  each  ; 
and  the  Count,  who  at  first  courteously  said  nothing  of  the 
paintings,  is  drawn  out  to  speak  of  the  old  faces.  One  had 
been  killed  at  Pultowa  ;  others  had  the  costume  which  they 
wore  in  a  glorious  imprisonment  in  Siberia  ;  others  belonged 
to  the  unforgotten  days  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  ;  another — 
a  lady's  face,  blooming  with  exquisite  beauty — was  the 
face  of  the  renowned  beauty  at  the  court  of  one  of  the 
Gustafs. 

Some  of  the  fair  faces  of  the  past  were  beautifully  pre 
served,  the  coloring  of  the  portraits  as  fresh  and  life-like 
as  on  the  cheek  of  its  original.  Courtly  or  historic  anec 
dotes  of  each  were  related  by  the  Count,  and  the  hour  with 
the  old  paintings  was  an  hour  with  the  old  Swedish  history. 

In  one  of  the  large  saloons  was  a  full  length  portrait  of 
one  of  the  present  young  princes.  The  most  noticeable  thing 
about  the  furniture  of  the  rooms  was  the  draping  of  the 
doors  from  one  drawing-room  to  another,  so  that  the  hard 
angular  character  of  the  door-way  was  relieved.  We  visited 
the  library  and  study — little  snug,  practical-looking  rooms, 
where  Count  X.  experiments  in  natural  science.  He  showed 
me  there  a  secret  seal  of  a  society  of  Free-Masons,  bearing 

date  Roda  Rosen,  1802 — founded  by  B ,  of  Hesse.     He 

18 


410  THE    NORSE -FOLK. 

had  obtained  it  direct  from  reliable  parties;  and  it  bore  out  all 
that  the  worst  enemies  of  the  Masons  have  ever  said  of  them. 
It  was  an  exceedingly  lecherous  and  coarse  representation. 

The  Masons  are  making  great  progress  at  this  time  with 
the  nobility  of  Sweden.  The  princes  themselves  are  said  to 
have  joined  the  society. 

In  one  room,  was  shown  us,  preserved  in  a  glass  case,  an 
antique  drinking-horn  set  with  silver  in  the  style  of  the 
ancient  horns  of  the  first  Norse  period,  preserved  in  the  Mu 
seums,  together  with  an  ivory  or  bone  whistle.  A  curious 
legend  is  connected  with  this,  which  I  will  relate  as  it  was 
related  to  me.  The  book  of  visitors  to  this  precious  relic  was 
handed  me,  and  I  put  my  name  in  it — the  first  American's 
that  had  been  written  there. 

We  drove  back  in  an  easy  little  brougham  with  two  pow 
erful  horses.  The  count's  place  is  one  of  the  most  unpro 
mising  situations  in  Sweden,  in  the  midst  of  this  vast  plain 
— on  one  side,  the  debris  of  a  torrent  of  stones  which 
have  been  scattered  over  all  this  country,  and  on  the 
other,  a  desert  of  sand  which  previously  had  been  encroach 
ing  steadily  on  his  cultivated  land.  The  stones  he  has 
made  into  walls,  and  has  cleared  where  it  could  be  done  ; 
the  sand  he  has  resisted  by  plantations  of  pines.  The  work 
which  he  has  done  in  his  life-time,  in  sowing  or  planting 
forests  where  had  been  barrens,  and  giving  shade  and  valu 
able  wood  to  his  posterity,  is  wonderful.  We  rode  mile 
after  mile  through  forests  of  pines,  and  over  hills  with  well- 
grown  beeches  and  oaks,  all  of  which  he  himself  had  had 
set  out.  On  one  estate,  there  were  15  Tuuland  cultivated 


THE    ESTATE. 

when  he  came,  now  there  are  950.     He  has  planted  over 
4,000  acres  with  valuable  trees. 

The  estate  is  the  largest,  I  suppose,  in  Southern  Sweden. 
It  contains  three  or  four  churches  and  a  number  of  schools 
which  were  built  or  are  the  property  of  Count  X.  He  him 
self  is  a  historic  character  in  Sweden.  He  was  in  high 
public  service  under  King  Charles  XIII.,  preceding  Berna- 
dotte  ;  had  a  share  in  the  Revolution,  was  minister  under 
Bernadotte,  and,  I  think,  was  once  in  the  cabinet  of  the 
present  king.  But  for  some  cause,  he  suddenly  left  public 
life  many  years  since,  and  has  devoted  himself  ever  since  to 
the  care  and  improvement  of  his  vast  estate,  and  to  the  pur 
suits  of  natural  sciences.  He  has  been  frequently  recalled  by 
the  voice  of  the  nation  and  of  the  king  to  the  public  councils, 
but  he  has  held  himself  in  retirement.  His  title  is  strictly  high  - 
er  than  count — Excdknz,  which  corresponds  perhaps  to  duke. 

The  approach  to  the  villa  is  through  quite  formal  avenues, 
of  beech,  I  think,  bringing  us  first  in  sight  of  the  high-peaked 
brick  barns,  inlaid  with  wooden  beams,  like  the  timber- 
houses  of  England.  On  one  side  is  a  garden  and  a  thick 
grove  of  trees,  with  pleasant  walks  along  a  clear  little 
stream — all  laid  out  by  the  proprietor.  The  villa  has  the 
usual  arrangement  of  three  or- four  separate  little  houses, 
each  hardly  two  stories  high.  The  guests  in  one,  the  ser 
vants  in  another,  and  the  family  in  a  third.  An  especial 
servant  has  charge  of  us  and  our  apartments. 

Several  guests  and  their  families — officers  and  noblemen 
— are  visiting  the  house,  together  with  some  very  agreea 
ble  ladies.  The  old  nobleman  is  a  complete  host — a  very 


4:12  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

courteous,  and  dignified  gentleman,  but  adapting  himself 
to  every  one  wonderfully,  and  giving  you  tlie  impression 
of  great  sincerity  and  character.  He  speaks  English,  French 
or  German,  as  the  words  come  most  readily  to  him. 

The  style  of  living  is  generous  and  simple,  much  like  an 
English  country  gentleman's,  or  that  of  our  American  fami 
lies  of  wealth,  whose  property  is  mostly  in  the  country. 
With  less  extravagance  of  wines  perhaps,  but  with  a  certain 
greater  ease  and  quietude  of  house-keeping — a  result  of  the 
training  of  the  servants.  I  understood  that  there  were  fifty 
or  sixty  of  these  on  the  place,  but  probably  only  a  small  part 
are  house-servants.  These  are  all  under  the  charge  of  an 
Inspector,  who  keeps  the  business-accounts  of  the  estate. 

The  meals  are  much  more  English-like  than  is  customary  iu 
Sweden,  and  are  served  by  two  servants  in  liveries.  Break 
fast  is  taken  together  at  nine,  and  not  in  the  bed-rooms  as 
in  Germany. 

The  family  and  guests  are  thoroughly  well-bred,  simple, 
lively  and  unconscious,  entering  into  a  stranger's  objects 
with  much  sympathy,  and  making  the  home  genial  by  their 
kindness  and  informality.  It  is  noticeable  that  they  always 
talk  with  each  other  in  the  language  which  the  guest  uses 
at  the  time. 

We  were  sitting  out  at  twilight  under  the  beech  trees, 
and  one  of  the  ladies  said  in  English,  "  We  find  the  Ameri 
can-English  much  faciler  to  understand  than  the  English  we 
usually  hear.  We  have  observed  it  before." 

I  said  it  might  be  that  our  habits  of  public  speaking  in 


Music.  4:13 

America  gave  us  greater  distinctness  of  enunciation.  The 
English  considered  us  finical  in  this. 

"  We  get  most  charming  sensations  of  America  from  Mis 
tress  Bremer,"  said  one.  "  Oh,  those  forests  primeval  ! — 
but  she  must  paint  en  beau !  Surely  there  cannot  be  so 
many  wonderful  personages  in  any  one  country  !  Are  you 
so  musical  as  she  thinks  ?'-' 

I  thought  American  taste  was  improving  each  year,  and 
asked  what  music  was  best  liked  in  Sweden.  "  Oh,  ever 
the  German  !  Some  play  the  Italian,  and  it  is  easier 
indeed  ;  but  for  most,  the  classical  German  is  the  favorite. 
It  suits  our  serious  Norrland-nature." 

I  spoke  of  the  interest  I  had  felt  in  the  old  superstitions, 
and  of  my  impressions  of  the  Swedish  character,  as  con 
nected  with  them. 

They  allowed  that  they  were  true  generally — that  a  great 
proportion  of  educated  people  did  still  believe  them.  "  But 
you  should  hear  our  legend — the  legend  of  the  whistle  and 
horn  which  you  saw  in  the  castle  !"  said  one  of  the  ladies. 
"  No  one  is  permitted  to  cast  a  doubt  on  that !  Tell  it, 

F 1"  After  a  little  struggle,  a  young  girl  was  induced 

to  relate  it  in  French. 

THE    LEGEND. 

There  was  once  a  terrible  giant  in  Y ,  who  lived  in 

the  mountain,  way  up  at  the  west  there.  While  he  lived 
there,  some  pious  Christians  built  a  church  near  the  sea, 
at  -  — .  It  was  fifty  miles  off,  but  the  giant  could  not 
help  hearing  the  singing  of  the  holy  nuns,  and  it  grieved 


414  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

him.  Every  morning  and  evening  when  he  listened  to  the 
chantings,  he  became  more  angry,  until  at  length  he  took 
up  a  great  stone,  as  large  as  our  house  there,  and  threw  it 
with  all  his  might  at  the  church.  But  it  broke  in  two  with 
out  reaching  it,  and  one  piece  fell  not  far  from  here." 

"  You  passed  it  this  morning/'  interrupted  one.  "  It  was 
the  large  boulder  near  the  village." 

For  ti  long  time,  no  one  observed  anything  especial 
about  this  stone,  and  it  was  not  suspected  that  the  wicked 
mountain-folk — the  little  Trolls — came  there.  But  at  last, 
stories  got  about,  that  the  elves  were  in  the  habit  of  raising 
this  stone  on  golden  pillars  and  dancing  under  it.  Fru 

Cisela,  a  grand  lady,  lived  then  m  Castle  L ,  and  she 

heard  of  this,  and  became  possessed  with  a  great  desire  to 
know  something  of  the  wicked  elves  ;  so  she  promised  gold 
and  jewels  to  any  one  of  her  huntsmen  who  should  visit 
this  giant's  stone  when  the  Trolls  were  there.  The  Trolls, 
you  know,  always  dance  on  Christmas  morn,  between  cock- 
crowing  .and  daybreak.  At  first,  no  one  ventured  to  go, 
but  finally  a  brave  young  huntsman  volunteered,  and  on  the 
Christmas  eve  rode  forth  to  the  stone.  When  he  came  near 
by,  he  heard  the  noise  of  music  and  dancing,  and  he  saw 
the  great  rock  raised  up  on  golden  pillars,  and  bright  lights 
underneath.  And  there  were  a  host  of  beautiful  little 
fairies,  dancing  and  singing  and  drinking,  as  if  mad  ;  they 
wound  about  among  each  other,  and  flew  and  whirled  like 
the  leaves  in  a  whirlwind  ;  and  there  was  one  of  them  who 
was  the  most  beautiful  creature  ever  seen.  She  had  a 
diamond-crown,  and  a  little  whistle  iu  her  hand  ;  it  was  the 


THE    LEGEND.  415 

queen  of  the  elves.  When  she  saw  the  bold  huntsman,  she 
ran  towards  him  and  welcomed  him,  and  he  was  so  charmed 
with  her,  that  he  hardly  knew  what  he  was  doing.  She 
then  told  her  servants  to  offer  him  drink,  and  they  brought 
him  a  horn,  full  of  some  not  very  pleasant-looking  drink. 
He  was  just  tasting  it,  when  his  good  angel  whispered  to 
him  that  he  would  forget  everything  which  he  had  been, 
and  become  only  an  elf,  if  he  tasted.  So  he  dashed  the 
drink  on  the  ground,  snatched  the  whistle  from  the  queen, 
and  spurred  his  horse  away.  Where  the  drops  fell  on  his 
horee  from  the  horn,  the  hide  was  burnt.  The  elves  followed 
him  close,  shrieking  and  crying  fearfully.  He  crossed  him 
self  often,  and  the  horse  flew  like  the  wind,  so  that  the  elves 
did  not  quite  reach  him.  When  he  came  near  the  castle, 
the  portcullis  was  down,  and  the  Lady  and  her  guards  stood 
waiting  for  him.  They  knew  if  he  could  only  get  over  the 
moat,  the  Trolls  could  not  injure  him.  At  length,  he  sprung 
upon  the  bridge,  was  over,  and  it  was  drawn  up.  Then 
thcro  stood  on  the  other  side,  the  wicked  elves,  moaning 
and  crying  piteously,  "  Give  us  our  horn  and  our  whistle ! 
Oh  !  give  them  to  us  !"  And  the  queen  of  the  elves  came 
forward,  and  offered  countless  gold  and  diamonds  to  the 
Lady  Cisela,  if  she  would  give  up  the  horn  and  whistle. 
But  the  Lady  replied,  "  Thou  wicked  imp  !  thou  shalt  never 
have  again  thy  horn  and  whistle  !  They  shall  remain  here, 
and  thou  mayst  cry,  till  ye  all  come  to  judgment  at  dooms 
day  !"  Then  the  queen  said  that  if  they  kept  those  elfin 
things,  they  must  guard  them  carefully,  for  when  they 
should  be  taken  away,  then  should  the  castle  be  burned 


416  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

down.  And  Lady  Cisela  answered,  "  Begone,  ye  goblins  ! 
In  the  name  of  Jesu,  begone  ! "  and  at  that  word  they  all 
vanished  into  the  air,  and  were  never  seen  any  more — 
though  sometimes  now,  the  servants  think  they  hear  them 
round  the  castle.  The  horn  and  whistle  were  kept  and 
exhibited  ;  but  in  a  few  days,  the  bold  huntsman  who  got 
them,  and  his  horse  beside,  died  very  suddenly. 

The  horn  and  whistle  were  in  the  castle  a  good  many 
years,  until  the  Danes  attacked  it  and  carried  them  both  off 
to  Denmark — then  it  was  that  the  castle  burned  down  the 
first  time.  So  the  things  were  brought  back,  and  as  they 
were  visited  and  touched  by  so  many  people,  they  became  a 
little  injured,  and  were  sent  away  to  be  mended — when  sud 
denly  the  castle  burned  down  again.  A  third  time,  a  hun 
dred  years  later,  people  forgot  the  elfin  queen's  warning,  and 
sent  away  the  relics  for  some  reason  or  other,  and  again  the 
building  was  burned.  The  family  that  owned  them — the 
Ulftands — died  out  ;  and  now  they  are  in  grandfather's 
family  and  kept  in  a  glass  case,  so  that  nobody  can  touch 
them  1  So  there  you  have  my  long  goblin  story  !" 

"  Bravo  !    Good  !    Good  !"  we  all  answered. 

I  found  afterwards  a  long-printed  narration  of  the  legend. 
The  story  is  placed  in  1490, 1  think.  The  relics  are  genuine 
antiquities,  all  scholars  allow. 

THE    TROLLS. 

My  friends  gave  me  many  curious  facts  of  these  little 
people,  as  the  peasants  believe  them.  There  are  such  a 
number  of  superstitions  about  them,  that  some  scholars 


FAIKIES.  417 

have  thought  that  the  primeval  inhabitants  of  Sweden 
might,  possibly,  in  some  of  the  deep  forests,  have  survived 
till  modern  times. 

The  boulders  and  rocking-stones,  so  common  on  the 
plains  of  Sweden,  are  always  attributed  to  the  Trolls. 
Usually,  it  is  their  hatred  to  Christianity  which  has  led 
them  to  throw  these  at  some  church.  There  are  a  num 
ber  of  families  which  still  derive  their  descent  from  the 
mingling  of  the  children  of  men  with  these  creatures. 
Many  of  the  Trolls  are  seen  on  the  uninhabited  rocks  and 
islets  which  abound  on  the  coast  of  Sweden,  whither  they 
were  driven  by  the  early  Christians. 

"Some  sailors  belonging  to  Bohuslan,"  says  Thorpe,  "when  once 
driven  on  a  desert  shore,  by  a  storm,  found  a  giant  sitting  on  a  stone 
by  a  fire.  He  was  old  and  blind,  and  rejoiced  at  hearing  the  Northmen, 
because  he  was  himself  from  their  country.  He  requested  one  of  them 
to  approach  and  give  him  his  hand,  "that  I  may  know,"  said  he, 
"whether  there  is  yet  strength  in  the  hands  of  the  Northmen."  The 
old  man,  being  blind,  was  not  sensible  that  they  took  a  great  boat- 
hook,  which  they  heated  in  the  fire  and  held  out  to  him.  He  squeezed 
the  hook  as  if  it  had  been  wax,  shook  his  head,  and  said,  "I  find 
the  Northmen  now  have  but  little  strength  in  their  hands  compared 
with  those  of  old." 

A  noble  family  in  Sweden,  the  Trolle,  derive  their  name 
from  a  bold  deed  of  one  of  their  ancestors,  who  struck  off  a 
Troll  queen's  head  that  offered  him  magic  drink  in  her  horn. 
The  horn  was  long  preserved  in  the  Cathedral  of  Wexio. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  offspring  of  the  Trolls  are  count 
less,  but  that  they  die  when  it  thunders. 

18* 


CHAPTER     XXXYII. 

TABLE-TALK. 

WE  rode  to-day  over  parts  of  the  count's  estate,  and 
visited  the  schools  and  churches.  He  has  the  "patron's 
right "  with  regard  to  the  clergymen  ;  the  peasants  tell  him 
they  would  not  wish  him  to  give  this  up  to  them  ;  they  like 
his  selections.  One  of  the  churches  was  built  on  the  banks 
of  a  lake,  in  very  tasteful  style. 

We  were  in  a  little  industrial  school,  managed  by  Coun 
tess  X.,  where  the  children  of  the  Torpare — the  poor 
tenants,  who  do  so  many  days'  labor  in  the  year  for  their 
rent — come  for  instruction.  There  were  classes  in  weaving, 
sewing,  and  in  out-door  garden-work.  As  we  entered,  the 
eternal  catechism  was  being  droned  over.  I  made  some 
remark  on  the  Swedish  method  of  religious  instruction  as 
we  were  driving  away.  The  count  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
and  said  something  about  its  being  impracticable  to  go 
against  the  current  of  your  day  in  such  matters,  and  the 
subject  dropped.  These  day-labor  tenants  seem  a  wretched 
class — as  miserable  as  our  Irish  shanty-population  at  home. 
We  passed  their  cabins,  set  down  amid  this  drift  of  boulders 
and  stones,  and  girded  with  a  few  acres  of  the  most  hopeless 

418 


JUKY.  419 

land  for  tillage  which  can  be  found  in  barren  Scandinavia. 
They  are  frequently  tenants  of  tenants,  and  pay,  by  a  listless 
doing  of  jobs  here  and  there,  for  their  wretched  tenements 
and  grounds. 

The  old  Hoferi,  which  used  to  prevail  in  Scania,  in  which 
the  peasants  were  bound  to  work  like  serfs,  is  now  entirely 
abolished. 

I  was  asking  our  host  his  opinion  of  the  famous  jury- 
system  among  the  Bonders,  of  which  I  have  spoken  so 
much.  He  believed  it  excellent  as  a  means  of  education  in 
legal  matters,  but  had  no  confidence  whatever  in  the  jury  in 
any  country — not  even  in  England,  where  he  had  personally 
seen  its  workings. 

He  told  me  of  an  instance  lately  in  an  adjoining  county, 
where  these  jurymen  had  unanimously  voted  against  the 
judge,  and  so  carried  the  day.  It  was  in  a  singular  case. 
A  congregation  found  its  pulpit  vacant,  and  summoned  in 
one  or  two  candidates  to  preach.  One  of  these  preachers 
in  his  sermon  held  out  certain  pecuniary  inducements  for 
accepting  him.  This  was  considered  a  fit  cause  of  legal 
complaint,  and  he  was  called  before  the  Ting,  and  condemned 
thus  by  the  jury.  What  the  punishment  was,  I  did  not  hear. 

In  driving  through  one  of  the  Count's  woods,  the  forest- 
master  met  us,  riding  in  top-boots  on  a  hunter.  He  was  an 
old  soldier,  I  believe.  His  manner,  as  that  of  all  the  fol 
lowers,  was  very  appropriate  towards  the  old  nobleman — 
manly,  but  full  of  regard  and  respectful  feeling.  He  took 
us  to  a  beautiful  point  of  view  ;  and  showed  with  pride  the 
multitude  of  trees  he  himself  had  set  out. 


420  THENORSE-FOLK. 


DINNER. 

The  same  customs  prevail  here  of  handing  out  to  dinner, 
as  elsewhere,  in  formal  companies.  The  conversation  is 
very  lively  ;  wine  is  scarcely  drunk  ;  the  dishes  are  much  the 
same  as  I  have  hitherto  described.  While  at  table,  the 
mail  came,  and  with  it  the  Stockholm  paper,  containing  a 
long  article  on  the  latest  news  from  Kansas !  which  was 
eagerly  read  to  me — every  one  wishing  full  information  on  a 
str.uggle  in  which  they  began  to  feel  the  deepest  interest. 
The  action  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  refusing 
supplies  to  the  army,  was  read  from  the  same  journal. 
Here  the  military  men  at  table  were  very  inquisitive,  and 
fearful  for  the  stability  of  our  institutions.  I  put  the 
defence  on  the  strong  constitutional  ground,  so  often  shown 
forth  in  English  history,  of  holding  the  purse-strings  against 
the  oppression  of  one  part  of  the  government. 

Everywhere  in  Sweden  is  the  deepest  interest  in  these 
questions. 

Mention  was  made  of  Lallerstedt's  new  work,  "  La  Scan- 
dinavie,  ses  esperances  et  ses  craintes  " — a  book  written  in 
French  by  a  Swede,  strongly  on  the  French  stand-point, 
attacking  Bernadotte  for  his  separation  from  Napoleon,  and 
urging  the  union  of  Sweden  with  the  allies  in  the  Russian 
War.  The  designs  of  Russia  on  the  Northern  coasts  of 
Norway  are  very  vividly  pictured  ;  and  the  great  loss  in 
giving  up  Finland,  in  the  disastrous  years  of  1809  and  '10. 
The  writer  urges  that  a  vigorous  campaign,  pressed  with 


POLICY   TOWAEDS    FRANCE.         421 

the  superior  generalship  of  Bernadotte  on  the  flank  of  the 
Russians  through  Finland,  would  have  made  Napoleon's 
invasion  of  Russia  certain  to  succeed,  and  would  have  estab 
lished  Sweden  in  its  original  unity,  as  master  of  Finland, 
Sweden,  and  Norway.  The  present  union  of  Sweden  and 
Norway,  he  considers  of  very  little  advantage  to  the  former 
country — Norway  having  most  of  the  benefits  with  very 
little  of  the  burdens,  while  Finland  was  an  integral  part  of 
the  Swedish  kingdom. 

The  Count  had  figured  historically  in  these  scenes,  and  so 
far  as  he  expressed  his  opinion,  agreed  with  the  view  of 
most  persons  outside  of  both  France  and  Sweden — that 
Bernadotte's  policy  was  justified  by  the  results.  The  French 
Empire  was  an  accidental,  temporary  thing  ;  but  the  rela 
tions  with  the  great  Powers  would  probably  be  permanent 
and  beneficial,  both  to  Bernadotte's  family  and  to  Sweden. 

It  was  objected  by  some  one  at  table,  that  these  late 
papers  of  Schiiikel  (the  published  Correspondence  of  Carl 
Johan,  issued  under  his  own  supervision)  proved  the  King 
thoroughly  selfish  in  his  policy. 

"  You  see  from  them,  he  had  his  dynasty,  not  Sweden's 
interests,  at  heart.  It  is  very  plain  that  his  ambition  was 
to  win  the  imperial  crown  of  France,  not  to  make  Sweden 
a  powerful  kingdom." 

"And  yet,"  answered  another  gentleman,  "see  what  he 
did  make  of  Sweden.  He  found  her  plundered  and  de 
spoiled,  and  just  on  the  verge  of  utter  destruction,  and  he 
uia.de  her  at  least  respectable,  and  gave  her  Norway." 

"  But,"  replied  the  first,  "these  very  papers  of  Schinkel 


422  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

show  that  he  had  everything  his  own  way,  when  he  had  the 
conference  with  the  Czar  at  Abo.  Alexander  was  prepared 
to  yield  Finland,  if  he  pressed  it." 

"  Still,  he  could  never  have  held  it,"  was  the  answer. 
"  What  an  eternal  bone  of  strife  would  Finland  have  been 
to  us  !  Where  would  have  been  the  natural  boundary  for 

us  to  defend  ?" 
******* 

"It  is  true,"  said  a  lady  next  me  in  English,  " we  have 
not  in  Sweden  a  so  great  admiration  as  formerly  for  King 
Charles  John.  He  seems  so  self-looking — how  call  you  ? — 
no  :  selfish" 

"  But  a  remarkable  man  !  A  wonderful  man  in  many 
respects,"  said  the  Count  in  German.  "  He  was  by  nature 
an  orator  and  a  true  citizen-king.  He  liked  to  speak,  and 
he  liked  the  people.  Still,  it  was  very  difficult  for  us  to  get 
on  with  him.  At  one  time,  it  would  be,  with  a  fiery  enthu 
siasm,  '  Moi — je  suis  Republicain !  No  such  measure  must 
be  proposed  to  me.'  At  another,  when  some  parties  had 
offended  him — '  Les  Readies !  They  should  be  shot !'  He 
had  great  executive  and  strategic  talent.  Schinkel  shows 
clearly  that  the  plan  of  the  campaign,  even  to  the  great 
closing  in  Leipsic,  was  the  King's." 

A  story  was  told  here  of  Bernadotte,  which  has  been  in 
print,  though  it  is  not  common. 

He  was  commandant  of  a  town  in  Hanover,  and  hap 
pened  to  be  present  at  a  public  dinner.  An  English  officer 
was  at  the  table,  who  had  served  in  India.  Beruadotte  and 
the  Englishman  were  recalling  the  campaigns,  and  at  length 


BEBNADOTTE.  423 

the  officer  related  an  adventure  which  had  laid  him  under 
lasting  obligations  to  the  French.  He  was  attacking  a 
redoubt,  where  he  was  struck  down  and  just  on  the  point  of 
being  murdered  by  some  of  the  native  troops,  when  a 
French  officer  sprung  from  the  hostile  defences,  dispersed 
the  assailants  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  rescued  him,  and  had 
him  tended  afterwards  with  the  greatest  kindness.  He  was 
never  able  to  thank  his  deliverer,  as  circumstances  called 
the  French  officer  immediately  to  another  point. 

Bernadotte  listened  with  increasing  emotion,  and  at  the 
close,  unable  to  restrain  himself,  rose,  threw  his  arms  around 
the  neck  of  the  Englishman,  saying,  "Ah!  monfrere! 
c?etait  moi !  It  was  I  !  I  had  that  good  fortune  !"  And 
he  related  to  the  astonished  company  that  he  had  had  the 
opportunity  to  do  the  little  service  to  an  English  officer  in 
India,  but  he  had  never  met  him  till  this  day. 

All  were  deeply  affected  at  the  coincidence,  and  the  most 
fraternal  feelings  were  the  result  between  the  French  and 
English  officers. 

After  retiring  to  his  quarters,  the  Aide  of  Bernadotte 
said  to  him,  "  Are  you  not  mistaken,  mon  General  ?  You 
were  not  in  India  on  that  year  ;  you  were,  you  remember, 
in  so  and  so  !" 

"  I  know  it,  mon  cher.  I  never  saw  the  man  before  or 
heard  the  story.  But  it  was  some  Frenchman  ;  and  we 
must  keep  up  the  glory  of  the  great  nation,  you  under 
stand  !  It  would  not  do  to  let  such  an  opportunity 
escape!" 

****** 


4:24:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

Another  gentleman,  an  old  statesman,  familiar  with  the 
court  of  Gustavus  IV.,  gave  some  droll  stories  of  the 
trouble  they  had  with  the  King  in  his  country  palace,  at 
Drottningholm,  near  Stockholm. 

There  was  a  forlorn  arbor  in  the  grounds,  where,  after 
dinner,  the  courtiers  sat  in  sombre  silence,  and  took  their 
coffee.  It  was  looked  upon  as  an  abode  of  sorrowful  spirits^ 
as  the  King  liked  no  merriment  or  conversation  in  his  pre 
sence.  On  the  Sundays,  the  crowd  always  pressed  into  the 
neighborhood  of  this  arbor,  and  stared  at  the  distinguished 
party.  At  first,  the  King  would  swear  and  send  out  a  ser 
vant  ;  then,  as  party  after  party  came  to  gape  and  look,  he 
dispatched  others — ministers  and  gentlemen  ;  but  it  was 
like  keeping  away  a  crowd  from  some  wonderful  shop-win 
dow  in  a  city  street.  Wave  after  wave  of  population  came 
pouring  in,  and  was  only  diverted  by  the  rods  of  the  ushers 
and  the  requests  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  court.  At  length, 
the  King,  with  a  fearful  "  Sacrament  /"  rushed  out  himself, 
small  stick  in  hand,  to  keep  back  the  vulgar  mass,  to  their 
immense  amazement  and  amusement  ;  and  the  ministers 
were  obliged  to  send  for  the  guards  to  protect  the  arbor. 

Bernadotte,  on  the  other  hand,  liked  nothing  better,  they 
said,  than  to  sit  in  these  gardens  and  be  stared  at.  He 
never  had  any  guards,  and  talked  sociably  with  every  one. 

The  dethroning  of  Gustavus  IV.,  in  1809,  was  vividly 
described  by  some  who  had  taken  part  in  it.  The  whole 
country  had  become  so  thoroughly  disgusted  with  him  and 
his  insane  efforts  to  set  Sweden  in  opposition  to  France  and 
all  Europe,  that  a  conspiracy  among  the  nobles  was  neces- 


THE   REVOLUTION.  425 

sary  to  avert  a  revolution.  The  nation  had  already  lost 
Finland  through  his  folly,  and  feared  even  for  the  existence 
of  Sweden  as  an  independent  government,  if  Gustavus  was 
allowed  to  go  on  in  his  reckless  measures.  The  plans  of  the 
noblemen  opposed  to  the  king  were  well  arranged  ;  the 
guards  had  been  bribed  or  removed,  and  all  seemed  certain; 
when  on  the  13th  of  March,  they  rushed  in  on  him  in  his 
apartments,  and  Baron  Adlercreutz  demanded  his  sword. 
The  king  is  said  to  have  drawn  it  with  fury,  and  for  a 
moment  there  was  danger  of  bloodshed.  When  disarmed, 
there  was  still  another  moment  of  terrible  suspense,  when 
the  king,  by  a  ruse,  escaped  through  a  secret  door,  and 
rushed  out  in  the  court-yard,  to  arouse  those  of  his  guards 
who  were  yet  faithful.  By  good  chance,  a  powerful  life- 
guardsman  of  their  own  party  met  him  just  as  he  was  burst 
ing  forth.  Gustavus  had  still  another  weapon,  and  drew  it 
upon  him  ;  but  the  soldier  first  threw  his  arms  around  him, 
and  thus  holding  him  helpless,  bore  him  within  the  palace 
before  any  outcry  was  aroused.  Here  he  was  confined,  and 
afterwards  transferred  to  Drottningholm.  A  regeat  was 
appointed,  and  in  May,  when  the  Diet  met,  he  and  his  pos 
terity  were  declared  incapable  of  wearing  the  crown,  and 
Charles  XIII.  was  called  to  the  throne. 

The  Swedish  people  have  never  forgiven  this  monarch  the 
disgraceful  loss  of  Finland,  nor  the  treachery  in  which  his 
admiral,  Cronstedt,  gave  up  the  Swedish  fleet,  and  the 
almost  impregnable  fortress  of  Sveaborg,  to  the  Russian 
army. 

I  was  much  interested  to  find  that  the  count  and  other 


426  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

gentlemen  who  bad  figured  in  those  events,  did  not  hold 
Cronstedt  for  the  thorough  villain  and  traitor  which  the 
majority  of  Swedes  regard  him  to  be.  They  considered  him 
weak  ;  but  they  said  the  Russians,  during  the  siege  of 
Sveaborg,  managed  to  introduce  Stockholm  papers  and 
forged  letters,  announcing  the  complete  prostration  of 
Sweden  under  the  French  emperor,  and  declaring  that  the 
only  hope  was  to  yield  everything  to  the  Russians,  and 
secure  at  least  their  assistance  ;  so  that  the  admiral  was 
utterly  deceived  and  mistaken. 

They  stated  also  that  Cronstedt  never  received  any 
marked  honors  or  pay  afterwards  from  the  Russians,  but 
lived  in  retirement  and  disgrace. 

Late   disclosures    show  that   the    secret   articles   of  the 

treaty  of  Tilsit,  in  1807,  gave  up  Finland  to  Russia,  and 

that  Denmark  was  to  be  compelled  to  make  over  her  fleet 

to  France,  and  to  join  in  the  confederation  against  England. 

******* 

In  speaking  of  the  question  we  had  been  at  first  discuss 
ing,  I  mentioned  a  conversation  I  had  lately  had  with  one 
of  the  most  cultivated  men  in  Sweden — a  man  of  long 
experience  in  public  affairs,  who  said,  /  sincerely  wish  Sweden 
could  have  been  put  for  three  years  under  Napoleon's  rule  /" 

They  did  not  share  my  surprise  at  the  sentiment.  The 
admiration  for  the  French  and  for  the  Great  Emperor,  was 
very  deeply  fixed  in  many  Swedish  minds. 

I  told  Count  X.  that,  to  me,  coming  from  a  public  man, 
it  seemed  the  most  earnest  confession  I  had  yet  heard  of 
the  backwardness  of  Sweden  in  all  good  organization. 


BENEFITS    OF    WEALTH.  427 

They  would  prefer  temporary  foreign  conquest  under  an 
intelligent  despot,  to  the  present  antiquated,  awkward,  slow 
machinery  of  government. 

****** 

"  There  is  not  such  a  furore  for  the  French  in  society 
as  there  used  to  be,"  said  a  lady  near  me.  "  Of  course,  we 
must  take  the  modes  from  them  ;  but  in  reading  and  such 
things,  we  go  now  to  England  and  America." 

"  Your   health  !"    said  the  Count,   drinking  and  rising. 
"  You  see  we  have  not  the  English   custom  of  drinking 
alone,  without  the  ladies.     Have  you  in  America  ?" 
*  *  *  *  *  * 

As  I  have  said  before,  the  impression  one  gets  of  the 
ladies  of  the  upper  classes  in  Sweden  is  delightful.  We  are 
too  apt,  perhaps,  in  theory  to  decry  the  advantages  of 
wealth,  though  we  overvalue  them  in  fact.  There  are  cer 
tain  great  benefits  possible  from  it,  and  yet,  by  a  happy 
providence,  they  are  all  attainable  in  modern  days  without 
extravagant  means.  I  wrote  at  the  time  these  words,  and 
they  seem  still  true. 

"  Wealth  (with  rank)  produces  a  kind  of  repose — a  habit 
of  security  and  home-feeling,  and  a  screened  delicacy,  which 
is  truly  something  worth.  It  gives  the  habit  of  using  the 
best,  and  the  custom  of  luxury  (which  is  not  of  much 
value),  and  more  self  or  circumstance-trust,  so  that  the 
bearer  has  a  calmness  and  dignity  as  of  one  controlling,  not 
controlled.  It  does  not  give,  as  of  course,  taste,  or  quick 
ness,  or  education  ;  but  it  shields,  it  quiets  the  storms  which 
beat  about  the  young  growth,  and  takes  away  the  coarse 


428  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

necessities,  which  may  wear  off  a  little  of  the  delicacy  of 
the  sop.l. 

"  One  would  suppose  that  a  connection  with  a  noble 
historic  past  would  pledge  the  inheritor  to  as  noble  action 
iu  the  present ;  and  as  we  of  New  England  feel  yet  the 
earnest  presence  and  heroic  purpose  of  our  national  fore 
fathers,  so  to  the  individual  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  of  gener 
ous  and  wise  men,  consecrated  by  history,  of  his  own  blood 
and  family,  would  be  an  impulse  in  the  struggle  for  good. 
It  does  not,  however,  anywhere  appear  to  be  the  fact. 
Even  as,  in  America,  many  of  the  direct  descendants  of  the 
Pilgrims  and  the  Revolutionary  heroes,  are  among  those 
most  recreant  to  liberty,  so,  the  world  over,  has  the  mantle 
of  the  past  taken  the  place  of  its  spirit,  with  those  nearest 
bound  by  blood  to  its  heroism. 

"  That  nature  is  the  nearest  complete  which  has  the  deli 
cate  touch,  the  sheltered  fineness,  and  the  sweet  calmness  of 
good  circumstances,  with  the  robust  habit  of  exertion,  and 
the  use  to  unpleasant  realities  of  poverty ;  and  such  natures 
we  believe  to  be  found  especially  in  America." 

As  I  went  to  the  guest-house  at  night,  in  the  still  moon 
light,  the  wonderful  repose  of  the  old  place  seemed  height 
ened  by  the  monotonous  chant  of  the  night-watchman,  patrol 
ling  in  some  part  of  the  estate — 

"  Hor  vacktaren  ropa ! 

Klockan  elfva  slagen  I" 
u  Hear  the  watchman  cry  ! 
Eleven  o'clock  is  striking!" 

Sleep  is  pleasant  after  such  days,  and  Swedish  beds  are 

good. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

SOUTH-SWEDEN. 

THE  post-stations  through  Scania  are  so  uncertain  that 
we  were  obliged  to  send  Forlud,  or  a  messenger  on  horse 
back  to  order  horses.  If  a  mail  happens  to  go  through  at 
the  right  time,  one  can  always  send  one's  orders  by  it  very 
cheaply.  In  this  case,  there  was  an  addition  of  half  the 
expense  to  every  station.  We  posted,  the  day  after  leaving 
Count  X.'s,  about  70  miles  south,  over  a  flat,  barren  coun 
try,  through  moors  with  occasional  patches  of  buckwheat 
and  potatoes  surrounding  the  sparse  farm-houses — the  stormy 
sea  here  and  there  visible  on  our  left  when  we  reached  a 
higher  ground. 

A  depressing,  monotonous  ride.  It  proved  fortunate  that 
we  had  ordered  the  horses,  as  a  party  of  gentry,  with  four 
carriages,  had  engaged  ten  horses  at  each  station.  They 
passed  us  at  one  station,  in  very  elegant  travelling  carriages 
— the  gentlemen  themselves,  in  some  of  them,  sitting  on  the 
box.  It  was  evening  when,  in  the  rain  and  mud,  we 
reached  Ystad,  and  were  lodged  in  a  kind  of  parlor  at  the 
priocipal  hotel,  the  bedrooms  being  full. 

The  hotels  in  South  Sweden  are  certainly  much  better 


430  THENORSE-FOLK. 

than  in  the  north — though  still  poor  enough.  Ystad  is  a 
well-built,  busy,  little  commercial  town,  on  the  southeastern 
coast  of  Sweden. 

A    MODERN    ESTATE. 

We  stopped  the  next  day  at  Baron  V.'s,  to  whom  we 
had  introductions.  He  is  known  as  a  nobleman  who  has 
deeply  interested  himself  for  the  peasants,  having  written  a 
book  for  them  dedicated  to  a  Bonder,  and  striven  in  various 
ways  to  improve  their  condition.  The  rumor  is  that  his 
efforts  have  not  been  met  with  much  gratitude.  The  wealthy 
freehold  Bonders  who  live  near  him,  do  not  like  to  have  their 
modern  extravagant  habits  criticised,  and  have  resented  his 
advice.  They  claim  that  they  have  the  right  to  their  silks 
and  champagne  as  much  as  the  gentry. 

The  property  of  the  baron  is  very  pretty  and  new-looking 
— a  great  contrast  to  the  quiet  old  place  we  had  just 
left,  with  the  settled  air  of  antiquity  about  it.  This  is 
such  as  an  American  would  lay  out  if  he  were  suddenly 
placed  in  Sweden,  with  sufficient  means  : — a  new  brick  and 
stone  villa — the  two  usual  separate  houses  here  added  as 
wings,  so  that  the  house  surrounded  three  sides  of  a  square  ; 
a  garden  carefully  laid  out  with  new  walks,  among  many 
young  trees,  planted  in  the  last  ten  years  ;  and  new  brick 
stables  and  barns,  with  high-pointed  roofs,  constructed  on 
the  best  modern  principles.  The  only  thing  ancient  was  a 
small  grove  of  old  trees,  which  had  been  religiously  pre 
served.  The  whole  estate  was  enclosed  from  the  bare,  tree 
less  plain,  with  thick  shrubbery.  The  house  had  the  same 


EDUCATION    OF    PEASANTS.  431 

modern  air  :  handsome  rooms,  opening  into  each  other  on 
the  ground  floor — a  rich  library  of  modern  works — many 
engravings  from  the  best  living  German  and  French  artists, 
and  a  thousand  tokens  scattered  about,  expressed  the  life  of 
to-day.  Our  host  was  a  travelled  gentleman  of  considerable 
culture. 

He  describes  the  Bonders  in  South  Sweden  as  a  class 
rapidly  improving  in  means,  and  with  increasing  desires  to 
raise  themselves.  He  thinks  many  of  them  are  losing  too 
much  of  their  old  simplicity,  and  are  aping  the  classes  above 
them.  They  are  generally  in  favor,  he  adds,  of  the  new 
measures  for  education,  and  for  building  railroads. 

I  asked  him  about  the  Bonder  to  whom  he  had  dedicated 
his  book.  He  replied  that  he  was  a  most  remarkable  man 
— a  person  of  much  integrity  and  simplicity,  and  yet  of 
talent.  He  had  been  member  of  Parliament,  and  had  done 
very  much  for  his  class.  He  was  greatly  respected  through 
all  South  Sweden. 

We  rode  out  afterwards  in  the  neighboring  country,  and 
visited  some  of  the  schools  which  he  or  the  peasantry  had 
opened.  We  passed,  also,  a  new  church,  which  the  peas 
ants  were  just  building.  He  pointed  out  to  us  a  number  of 
fine  properties  belonging  to  the  Bonders.  "You  see  that 

large  house  with  the  high  roof — that  belongs  to  Eric  S , 

a  rich  old  fellow  and  proud.  He  likes  our  preacher — who, 
by  the  way,  is  a  son  of  the  famous  Tegner — but  he  will  not 
come  there.  He  says  he  won't  worship  where  there  is  some 
one  who  can  look  down  on  him. 

"  There's  another  good  Gut  (farm)!"  said  he,  in  German 


432  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

"  That  man  there  is  spoiling  his  son.  He  thinks  he  must 
send  him  to  the  University,  though  he  is  hardly  bright 
enough  for  the  plough.  If  the  Bauer  would  only  first  get  a 
little  common  sense,  before  talking  of  the  Universities  1" 

"But  they  must  come  up!"  I  said.  "You  can't  keep 
them  down  !" 

"  No  :  we  do  not  wish  to.  But  let  them  improve  ration 
ally.  They  need  not  complain  ;  they  are  the  aristocracy. 
They  have  the  power  now." 

The  agriculture  in  this  part  of  Sweden  is  very  good. 
The  fields  are  generally  under-drained  ;  the  crops  looks  full, 
and  the  grain-stacks  at  the  barns  are  immense.  This 
increasing  wealth  among  the  farmers,  is  all  from  improved 
culture  of  the  soil.  They  still  want,  and  •  are  ready  for, 
improved  machinery — especially  for  reaping  and  mowing. 

The  baron  desired  much  a  list  of  English  and  American 
books,  adapted  for  the  people,  which  he  might  translate. 

I  gave  him  all  I  could  think  of.  It  is  a  pity  that  those 
excellent  early  tales  of  Miss  Sedgwick,  designed  for  working 
people,  should  now  be  out  of  print.  The  "Temperance 
Tales,"  too,  would  be  very  useful  in  Sweden — though,  from 
all  appearances,  the  country  is  no  worse  in  respect  of 
intemperance,  than  most  others. 

We  were  hospitably  entertained  at  the  baron's — the 
guest-house,  with  three  comfortable  warmed  rooms  being 
allotted  us,  and  a  footman  to  attend  to  our  wants.  Very 
delicate  fruit — grapes  and  apricots  and  plums — were  brought 
in  at  the  edge  of  evening,  from  the  conservatories.  We 
supped  at  8  o'clock  on  a  bountiful  meal,  and  separated  for 


A    TUMULUS.  433 

the  night,  with  many  cordial  expressions  and  farewells,  as 
we  were  to  start  away  early  the  next  morning. 

MALMO'. 

On  our  way  to  this  city,  we  visited  the  estates  of  some 
wealthy  Bonders — men  living  as  rich  farmers  would  with  us, 
plainly,  but  very  comfortably,  with  many  working  people 
about  them. 

Not  far  from  Malmo,  we  passed  one  of  the  large  tumuli, 
where  the  old  warriors,  in  the  times  of  the  Vikings,  were 
laid,  and  perhaps  where  Kelt  and  Finn  far  back  in  the 
past  have  also  burned  or  buried  their  dead.  This  hallowed 
spot  is  now  used  for  a  porter-cellar,  and  public  gardens  are 
laid  out  around  it  ! 

At  Malmo,  we  merely  stopped  to  change  horses  and  go 
to  a  book-shop,  before  starting  for  Lund.  Among  the 
books  for  sale  here,  I  found  an  English  copy  of  Drcd, 
almost  at  the  same  time  in  which  it  appeared  in  America. 
The  new  (English)  Leipsic  edition  of  American  authors — 
Hawthorne,  Emerson,  Curtis  and  others — was  also  here. 
Malmo  is  the  capital  of  this  province. 

LUND. 

An  easy  ride  over  a  paved  road  of  an  hour  and  a  half, 
brought  us  to  the  old  University  City.  Of  Lund,  Geijer 
says  :  "In  the  Sound,  every  summer  of  the  ninth  century 
saw  the  fleet  of  the  Islesmen,  which  drew  an  ample  freight 

10 


THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

of  fish  from  the  teeming  coasts,  or  brought  back  meal, 
wheat  and  honey  from  the  then  celebrated  Scanian  fair, 
which  was  held  in  the  autumn.  About  the  same  time,  Lund 
is  mentioned  as  a  place  of  considerable  trade,  surrounded 
with  a  wooden  barrier,  where  gold  or  other  property  gained 
by  piracy  was  stored  up  for  security,  although  itself  a  mark 
for  the  attacks  of  the  sea-robbers,  who  swarmed  everywhere 
in  these  streets." 

Before  the  cession  of  this  province,  in  1658,  to  Sweden, 
the  town  was  the  Metropolitan  See  of  Denmark. 

It  has  a  quaint,  picturesque  aspect.  The  prominent  object 
is  the  old  cathedral,  an  imposing  and  irregular  structure, 
founded  in  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  century.  There  are  visi 
ble  in  it  traces  both  of  the  Byzantine  and  the  Gothic  school — 
perhaps  even  of  three  ages  of  architecture.  Professor  Bru- 
nius  is  at  this  time  repairing  and  enlarging  the  building,  with 
great  skill,  apparently.  Beneath  it,  in  a  kind  of  crypt — 
used  once  as  the  scene  of  mysterious  funeral  rites,  and  for 
the  last  ceremonial  of  Catholicism — our  friends  showed  us 
two  columns,  with  a  human  figure  carved  on  each,  one  of  a 
man,  and  the  other  of  a  woman,  with  a  child.  The  tradi 
tion  is  this  :  The  holy  Saint  Lawrence  was  walking  through 
the  wilderness,  and  praying  that  he  might  be  able  to  build 
a  grand  church  to  his  God,  when  a  giant  met  him  and  pro 
mised  to  grant  his  prayer,  on  condition  of  the  holy  man's 
bestowing  on  him  his  two  eyes,  and  the  sun  and  moon.  The 
saint  appears  to  have  had  no  reluctance  in  promising,  and 
the  giant  went  to  work.  At  length,  when  he  had  nearly 
completed  his  labors,  the  holy  father  bethought  him  that 


LEGEND.  435 

he  had  these  rather  difficult  wages  to  pay.  He  became 
alarmed,  and  knew  not  what  to  do.  He  wandered  out  alone 
in  the  forest  ;  and  there,  while  in  pious  meditation,  he  heard 
a  giantess  quieting  her  child,  saying — 

"Hush!  baby,  hush! 
Finn,  thy  father,  comes  home  to-morrow, 
Then  with  the  sun  and  moon  shalt  thou  play, 
And  with  the  old  saint's  eyes  1" 

By  this,  he  learned  the  giant's  name,  and  of  course  at 
once  had  power  over  him. 

The  giant  and  his  wife  found  that  they  were  betrayed, 
and  went  to  the  crypt  and  seized  each  a  pillar,  to  destroy 
the  church.  St.  Lawrence  saw  them,  and,  in  the  very  act, 
made  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  them,  saying,  "Remain 
there  in  stone  till  the  Day  of  Doom  !"  And  there  they 
are  still  shown,  each  embracing  a  pillar. 

The  legend  is  an  imitation  of  one  of  the  old  Eddaic 
stories.  A  Swedenborgian  friend  who  visited  them  with 
me,  said  that  they  were  mythical  representations — of  which 
the  old  church  is  full.  The  beastly  and  earthly  passions 
attempting  to  shake  the  temple  of  faith  and  purity,  changed 
and  rendered  lifeless  by  the  power  of  the  cross,  the  symbol 
of  Divine  Love. 

****** 

Lund  is  especially  famous  for  its  university,  founded  in 
1608.  Puffendorf  was  professor  here,  and  Linnaeus  a  pupil. 
It  ranks  perhaps  second  to  Upsala.  The  property  belong 
ing  to  it  is  large,  being  in  great  part  the  old  estates  and 
rents  belonging  to  the  Catholic  Chapter  of  Lund,  transferred 


436  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

to  it  by  the  King.  With  this — consisting  of  four  parishes, 
thirty  prebends,  and  nine  hundred  pieces  of  land — it  meets 
nearly  all  its  own  expenses.  The  professors  are  paid  in 
natural  products.  Salaries,  paid  in  grain,  vary  from  the 
value  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  to  eight  hundred 
dollars.  The  Privat-docent,  or  tutor,  is  paid  by  his  pupils. 
The  theological  professors  have  a  parish.  Even  the  lay- 
professors  have  sometimes  parishes  given  them,  though  they 
must  of  course  take  orders.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  a  lay- 
professor*  to  be  appointed  bishop,  as  a  reward  for  distin 
guished  talents  or  character. 

One  of  my  best  friends  in  Sweden,  recently  appointed 
bishop,  was  formerly  in  a  political  office,  and,  if  I  mistake 
not,  a  lawyer.  Tegner,  Professor  of  Greek  Literature,  in 
Lund,  and  Agard,  of  Botany,  were  both  made  bishops. 

The  examination  for  the  entry  of  students  is  said  to  be 
strict.  The  course  for  theology  is  ordinarily  two  years,  and 
for  other  branches,  three.  The  theological  student  has  an 
additional  examination  to  pass  before  the  consistory,  when 
leaving  the  university,  before  he  can  enter  on  his  profession. 

THE  "NATIONS." 

This  division  of  the  students  occurs  here,  as  in  Upsala. 
It  is  obligatory,  and  no  young  man  can  be  matriculated  in 
the  university,  without  being  a  member  of  the  "Nation" 

*  An  instance  is  related  of  an  officer  coming  in  boots  and  spurs  to 
the  Swedish  court,  to  thank  his  Majesty  for  being  appointed  a  bishop! 


THE    STUDENTS.  437 

from  his  own  province.  Each  Nation  has  its  rooms,  library, 
reading-room,  means  of  amusement  and  of  study.  Here  is 
a  very  large,  handsome  building,  with  concert-hall,  restau 
rant,  and  a  number  of  reading-rooms,  which  belong  to  the 
Nations,  combined. 

There  are  four  degrees  in  these  voluntary  bodies — seniores, 
juniores,  recentiores,  and  novitii.  To  pass  from  one  to  the 
other,  an  examination  is  necessary  before  the  class  above. 
The  Nation  chooses  among  the  professors  its  own  In 
spector,  or  general  superintendent,  who  signs  its  acts  and 
approves  its  decisions,  and  represents  it  with  the  academic 
consistory  ;  it  also  chooses  from  its  own  seniores,  its  curator, 
who  is  a  kind  of  secretary  and  treasurer.  Every  student 
intending  to  pass  his  examination  before  the  faculty,  must 
first  bring  a  certificate  from  his  Nation  of  his  conduct  and 
studies.  This  body  has  a  certain  jurisdiction  over  its  mem 
bers,  and  even  the  power  of  expulsion,  which  is  considered 
worse  than  expulsion  from  the  university.* 

It  is  said  that  many  of  the  students  live  on  one  hundred 
and  twenty  dollars  a  year,  without  difficulty. 

****** 

I  made  the  acquaintance  of  some  very  intellectual  and 
accomplished  men,  among  the  professors  here.  We  had  an 

evening  at  Prof.  B 's,  the  most  distinguished  theological 

scholar  of  the  university,  and  eminent,  also,  as  a  preacher. 
There  is  something  wonderfully  intellectual  and  ideal  in 
the  expression  of  his  face,  and  he  impresses  one  as  a 

*  Marmier— Les  Universites  Suedoises.     (Les  Lettres  sur  le  Nord.) 


438  THENORSE-FOLK. 

profound  and  scholastic  mind.  Yet  I  was  disappointed, 
that  a  man  of  such  world-wide  culture  should  cling  so 
closely  to  the  political  idea  of  the  Church.  I  have  met  no 
theologian  in  Sweden  so  despotic  and  ecclesiastical  in  his 
theory.  He  listened  to  my  rather  frank  expositions  of  the 
American  system,  with  much  respect,  though  apparently 
not  so  much  caring  to  discuss  them,  as  to  get  exactly  our 
stand-point.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation,  my  friend 
spoke  of  the  evils  which  all  Sweden  feels,  in  the  mode  of 
paying  the  pastor's  salary — that  is,  the  collecting  it  by 
fixed  rates  and  little  taxes  among  the  parishioners,  thereby 
encouraging  a  covetous  and  pecuniary  relation  alone  be 
tween  pastor  and  people.  He  suggested  that  it  would  be 
better  for  the  Government,  or  for  the  parish-meeting,  to  de 
termine  the  amount  and  raise  it. 

Prof.  -  -  at  once  objected — "  Nothing  must  be  done 
which  would  weaken  the  legal  claim  of  the  Church  to  those 
rates  and  salaries.  It  was  the  Church's  property." 

I  had  understood  he  was  engaged  in  reforming  the  liturgy 
of  the  Swedish  Church,  and  it  did  not  occur  to  me  that,  in 
this  age,  it  could  be  but  in  one  direction.  I  asked  about 
the  formula  for  the  "  Forgiving  of  Sins,"  and  we  compared 
it  with  that  of  the  Norwegian  liturgy.  In  the  latter,  the 
pastor,  by  virtue  of  his  authority,  declares  the  sins  forgiven. 
In  the  Swedish,  the  absolution  is  more  distinctly  conditioned 
on  the  inner  repentance,  though  still  "declared"  by  the 
clergyman.  It  appears  that  a  quibbling  controversy  has 
arisen  in  regard  to  this  Absolution,  and  that  this  learned 
.Protestant  scholar,  instead  of  seeking  to  wipe  the  whole 


A    DISCUSSION.  439 

declaration  from  the  Swedish  Prayer-book,  as  unworthy  of  a 
rational  age,  is  striving  to  make  it  stronger — to  establish 
that  there  is  some  mysterious,  God-given,  official  power  in 
the  man  of  cassock  and  white  bands,  to  heal  the  fearful  dis 
eases  of  the  human  soul,  by  proclaiming  them  healed  !  1 
may  be  doing  him  injustice,  but  such  his  position  seemed  to 
me  ;  and  I  at  once  felt  myself  so  far  out  even  of  the  atmos 
phere  of  such  ideas,  that  I  listened  to  him  in  confused 
silence. 

Our  conversation  on  aesthetic  and  liturgical  forms  was 
more  satisfactory.  I  told  him  that  I  felt  on  the  assthetical 
side  of  religious  expression,  men  were  almost  necessarily 
one-sided.  Historical  associations,  circumstances,  climate, 
temperament,  and  other  causes,  make  some  classes  of  minds 
sensitive  to  a  certain  kind  of  religious  and  aesthetic  impres 
sions,  while  to  another  kind  they  are  utterly  obtuse  or 
opposed. 

This  had  struck  me  especially,  comparing  America  and 
Sweden.  Here,  I  found  a  ceremonial — a  use  of  garments, 
colors,  and  forms,  and  tones,  which,  by  the  side  of  our  bare 
and  simple  New  England  mode,  seemed  Popish  and  Roman- 
istic — even  as  the  Bavarian  ceremonial  probably  seemed  to 
kirn,  going  from  Sweden.  Yet,  I  could  not  doubt  the  essen 
tial  spirit  of  worship  in  each  and  all. 

He  allowed  the  truth  of  this  ;  but  said,  this  was  not  true 
of  the  historic  idea  of  a  Church.  Each  country  and  people 
must  have  that  for  a  full  religious  life  ;  they  must  be  con 
nected  to  the  past  by  direct  spiritual  bonds.  The  Church 
was  mvsteriously  transmitted  from  age  to  age  through  its 


MO  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

ordinances  and  divinely-blessed  ministers,  even  as  a  State  is. 
We  had  not  this  in  America,  and  must,  if  we  had  not  felt 
already,  yet  feel  the  ill  effects  of  the  want  of  it. 

The  existence  of  sects  with  us  struck  him  in  the  same 
mournful  light  as  I  have  before  described  among  the  scho 
lars  and  clergymen. 

We  spoke  of  Bunsen,  whom  I  felt  to  be  one  of  the  most 
enlightened  and  comprehensive  theologians  of  the  day.  He 
did  not  like  him,  and  spoke  of  the  excessive  individualism  of 
his  "Signs  of  the  Times"  with  severity. 

Our  conversation,  lasting  for  a  considerable  time,  was 
very  interesting,  and  I  left  him  with  a  high  respect  for  his 
courtesy  of  manner  and  his  culture,  though  differing  utterly 
from  his  theories. 


I  have  alluded  to  my  Swedenborgian  friend,  Dr.  K. 
most  genial,  agreeable  person  —  a  believer  also  in  "  Spirit 
ualism  "  (so-called).  It  is  a  remarkable  thing,  that  one  meets 
with  so  few  Swedenborgians  in  Sweden.  The  superstitious, 
dreamy  temperament  of  the  Swedes  would  seem  to  be  just 
the  atmosphere  for  such  visions  to  flourish  in  ;  still  the 
Revelation  has  now  far  more  followers  in  England  and 
America,  than  in  its  own  country. 

I  have  repeatedly  read  the  prophetic  and  figurative  parts  of 
Swedenborg's  writings.  The  profound  convictions  of  his  fol 
lowers  almost  force  one  to  look  again,  at  what  can  inspire  such 
an  undoubted  faith.  But  never  have  I  been  able  to  finish  the 
perusal  of  his  mystical  visions  ;  there  is  something  incredibly 
dreary  in  them.  That  he  was  a  great  man,  a  man  of  vast 


SWEDENBORG. 

« 

erudition — though  his  Latin  is  sometimes  wretched — and  of 
much  science,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  That  he  believed  in 
the  reality  of  his  own  visions,  is  probably  equally  true. 

His  theology,  or  rather  Christology,  as  usually  given  by 
his  followers,  seems  to  me  entirely  consistent  with  the 
Apostolic  standards,  and  to  have  within  it,  a  life-giving 
truth,  which  is  not,  however,  Swedenborg's  more  than  it  is 
Augustin's  or  Paul's — the  MANIFESTATION  of  God  in  Christ  to 
men.  His  followers,  I  have  generally  found  very  simple, 
earnest,  religious  people. 

We  had  a  very  pleasant  dinner  with  Dr.  K.  and  some 
other  agreeable  friends,  at  Baron  Gyllenkrok's.  The  Baron 
is  an  enthusiastic  naturalist,  and  a  well-known  friend  of  the 
poor.  His  "  Ragged  School,"  near  Lund,  was  probably  the 
first  of  the  kind  in  Sweden. 

He  believes,  with  many  now  in  different  lands,  that  it  is 
bad  and  wasteful  policy  to  be  expending  such  sums  on  the 
punishment  and  imprisonment  of  children,  when  they  could 
as  easily,  and  at  half  the  expense,  be  reformed.  He  has, 
accordingly,  collected  the  subscriptions  for  a  building  and  a 
farm,  where  the  boys  of  the  prisons,  the  outcast,  homeless 
lads  of  the  cities,  all  those  growing  up  under  Christianity  in 
Sweden,  yet  outside  of  religion  and  civilization,  should  find 
occupation,  training,  and  a  home.  The  enterprise  has 
worked  well.  The  Swedish  people  is  not  one  that  recog 
nizes  its  obligation  towards  that  class  of  its  society,  as  much 
as  some  other  nations;  still  Baron  Gylleukrok  has  succeeded 
iu  collecting  considerable  sums  for  his  institution.  We 


442  THE 

found  the  building  a  large,  comfortable  structure,  with  a 

• 
fine  garden,  and  fields  about  it.     Some  of  the  boys  were 

working  in  the  garden  as  we  drove  up,  and  they  ran  to  the 
baron's  carriage,  presenting  their  cheeks  for  him  to  stroke, 
and  kissing  his  hand.  The  first  room  which  we  entered  was 
a  work-shop  for  basket-weaving.  That  and  the  garden  and 
farm-labor  are  the  principal  industrial  occupations.  We 
visited,  besides,  the  school-room  and  dormitories,  and  hospi- 
tal-chamoer — all  very  neat  and  comfortable.  It  is  strange, 
with  all  the  Swedish  manufacture  of  iron,  that  they  have 
not  arrived  at  the  great  improvement  of  iron  bedsteads  for 
their  public  institutions. 

One  especial  means  of  reformation  employed  in  this 
school,  is  music,  and  with  the  best  effects.  While  we  were 
there,  the  boys  were  called  together  to  sing  and  play  for  us. 
One  led,  on  a  small  organ,  and  the  others  sang  :  afterwards 
there  was  an  accompaniment  of  violin  and  flute,  with  very 
good  singing  in  parts. 

Some  of  the  songs  were  very  touching,  and  our  friends 
could  not,  several  times,  refrain  their  tears.  One  gentleman 
in  our  party,  as  he  afterwards  told  the  Baron,  had  once 
been  as  destitute  as  any  of  these  little  outcasts  ;  he  had 
known  what  it  was  to  be  on  the  verge  of  starvation,  and 
had  seen  his  father,  a  laboring  man,  return  home  at  night, 
almost  fainting,  and  shedding  tears,  because  he  had  nothing 
with  which  to  feed  his  starving  children.  Of  course,  such 
an  education  had  given  him  an  undying  sympathy  for  the 
poor  and  degraded,  and  fitted  him  for  the  post  he  so  well 
fills,  of  reformer  and  friend  of  the  poor. 


RAGGED    SCHOOL.  443 

One  pale  boy,  of  not  a  bad  expression  of  countenance, 
who  sang  well,  the  warm-hearted  Baron  frequently  caressed, 
saying,  "Poor  boy  !  'Six  weeks  on  bread  and  water,  and 
only  ten  years  old  !'7  This  had  been  his  sentence,  it  appears, 
for  some  crime  of  poverty,  until  the  Baron  had  begged  his 
release,  and  was  now  trying  the  effect  of  good  fare  and 
kindness. 

After  a  certain  time  spent  here,  the  lads  are  scattered 
abroad  through  families  in  the  country  ;  and  thus  far,  the 
results  have  been  here,  as  almost  everywhere  in  similar 
enterprises,  exceedingly  fortunate. 

The  Truth  is  dawning  on  this  age,  that  vice  and  crime 
can  be  checked  by  other  means  than  punishment  ;  that 
prison-bars  and  penal  restraints  for  the  young,  are  a  dis 
grace  011  our  Christianity,  and  show  we  have  lazily  neglected 
the  prevention,  and  must  now  employ  cruelty. 

Sweden  would  never  be  disgraced  by  such  a  number  of 
prisoners  in  her  large  cities,  if  she  had  more  such  reforma 
tory  schools. 

There  is  one  especial  danger,  however,  in  .all  such  institu 
tions.  The  managers  are  tempted  to  keep  the  reformed  and 
improved  children  together,  for  the  sake  of  showing  to  the 
doubtful  and  worldly  what  can  be  done  with  this  miserable 
class.  They  come  to  have  their  model  wicked-reformed 
children,  who  listen  year  after  year  to  the  tale  of  their  for 
mer  wickedness  and  their  present  piety,  until  they  arrive  at 
a  condition,  if  possible,  worse  than  their  first  sensualism  and 
bold  sinfulness — a  conscious,  canting,  hypocritical  state.  Be 
sides,  this  class  of  children  are  never  improved  by  being  kept 


444  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

in  contact.  They  want  most,  the  individual  influences  of  a 
home,  not  of  an  asylum.  The  object  should  be  everywhere 
to  scatter  them  about  through  a  country,  placing  them  in 
kind,  religious  families. 

The  Baron's  school  had  performed  one  thing  in  which  the 
Swedish  charitable  institutions  are  usually  shamefully  defi 
cient — the  publishing  of  a  succinct  Report  of  expenses, 
receipts,  and  the  various  statistics  of  a  reformatory  institu 
tion. 

At  parting,  the  old  Baron  gave  me  a  medallion  of  his 
head.  He  seemed  really  affected  on  bidding  us  good-bye, 
feeling  it  was  hardly  probable  we  should  ever  meet  again. 

When  the  kind  old  man  dies  at  last — and  may  the  day 
be  far  distant  1 — there  will  be  many  to  mourn  him  in  Swe 
den,  but  the  sincerest  tears,  dropped  on  his  grave,  will  be 
from  the  children  of  the  friendless  and  the  poor. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THE    CONSTITUTION    OF   THE    SWEDISH   CHURCH. 

THE  Swedish  church  is  even  more  than  united  to  the 
State.  The  two  are,  as  it  were,  parts  of  one  whole,  so 
that,  in  communal  matters,  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the 
one  from  the  other. 

All  public  actions  are  celebrated  with  churchly  ceremo 
nies  : — the  crowning  of  the  king,  the  opening  of  Parliament, 
the  sitting  of  the  general  court,  the  giving  of  university 
degrees,  and  the  consecration  of  schools.  The  whole  school 
system  is  under  the  care  and  guidance  of  the  Church.  The 
religious  instruction  in  all  schools  is  always  Lutheran,  and 
every  academic  term  is  opened  with  a  theological  examination. 
All  office-holders  must  belong  to  the  Lutheran  church  ;  all 
garrisons,  hospitals,  and  asylums, — all  forces  of  the  nation, 
by  land  or  by  sea,  must  have  Lutheran  chaplains,  and  shall 
hold  daily  religious  exercises. 

In  Sweden,  it  is  the  parish,  not  the  commune,  which  has 
the  local  government.  The  clergyman  is,  in  fact,  the  gov 
ernor  of  his  little  district,  and  a  council  (Sockenstamma) 
composed  of  the  free-holders,  members  of  the  church,  manage 
with  him  all  the  worldly  affairs.  Baptism  and  confirmation 

445 


THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 


are  made  indispensable  to  holding  office,  or  even  to  civil 
rights  ;  and  the  punishments  of  the  church  have  the  weight 
of  legal  penalties.  The  government  and  the  church  inter 
twine  and  become  one  in  a  manner  so  minute  as  to  be  inde 
scribable,  except  in  the  details  which  can  only  be  given  in  a 
traveller's  journal. 

The  Swedish  church  cannot  be  called  an  Episcopal 
church,  nor  altogether  a  Presbyterian  or  Congregational. 
The  best  authorities*  describe  it  as  originally  Episcopal  in 
form,  but  now  more  nearly  approaching  the  latter  churches. 
Greater  freedom  exists  within  it  than  within  the  Norwegian. 
It  holds,  in  the  main,  the  congregational  right  of  selecting 
its  own  clergymen,  though  the  field  of  choice  is  limited  by 
the  .consistory.  It  is  estimated  that  two-thirds  of  all  the 
pastors  of  Sweden  are  thus  chosen  ;  the  other  third  being 
appointed  by  patrons  or  by  the  king. 

The  church  does  not  culminate  in  synods,  but  is  rather  a 
union  of  free  local  communities,  presided  over  each  by  its 
own  parish  council.  This  council  is  founded  on  a  feature  of 
government  which  existed  before  the  time  of  Christianity  ; 
the  division  of  the  country  into  petty  provinces,  each  with 
its  centre  of  religious  worship.  It  is  a  body  having  charge, 
through  its  committees,  of  the  schools,  the  relief  of  the  poor, 
the  morals  of  the  parish,  the  repairs  of  the  church,  the  distri 
bution  of  the  church  funds,  and  objects  of  a  similar  character. 

Its  principal  committee,  —  composed  of  the  pastor,  vicar, 
and  from  four  to  eight  elders,  occupies  itself  especially  with 

*  Prof.  A.  C.  Knos,  and  Schubert. 


CHURCH    COMMITTEES.  447 

the  neglect  of,  or  offences  against,  the  church  ordinances, 
such  as  absence  from  communion  or  severance  of  the  mar 
riage  tie.  This  body  originated  in  1612  with  the  clergy 
themselves,  and  was  caused  by  the  difficulty  of  treating  of 
moral  offences  of  a  delicate  nature  before  the  whole  parish 
council.  At  one  time,  it  had  come  to  manage  also  the 
usual  business  affairs  of  the  parish,  but  these  have  now  been 
transferred  to  another  committee,  (Socken  namnd),  and  it 
retains  its  more  churchly  character. 

Above  the  separate  churches  are  the  assistant  of  the 
bishop  (prost),  the  consistories,  and  the  bishop.  The  mem 
bers  of  the  consistories  are  the  bishop,  prost,  and  others, 
both  lay  and  clerical,  chosen  in  part  by  the  king,  and  in 
part  by  the  churches.  The  bishop  is  chosen  by  the  king 
from  those  candidates  presented  by  the  diocese.  He  is 
considered  a  representative  of  the  parishes,  and,  in  the  form 
of  ordaining  the  clergy,  it  is  distinctly  provided  that  his 
authority  proceeds  from  the  trust  of  the  churches,  and 
nowhere  is  any  apostolical  succession  claimed  for  him  or  his 
order.  Both  in  the  nomination  of  the  clergy  from  the  peo 
ple,  their  duties,  which  are  communal,  not  national,  and  in 
their  support — from  their  parishes — it  is  attempted  to  be 
shown  that  the  clergy,  though  associated  with,  are  not 
servants  of,  the  State. 

The  only  bodies  corresponding  to  the  Presbyterian  synods, 
are  the  synods  of  the  dioceses,  which  act  upon  practical 
questions  concerning  the  churches  and  the  clergy. 

The  real  synod,  and  highest  authority  for  the  church — 
next  to  the  king,  who,  though  not  the  head  bishop,  exercises 


448  THE    NOBSE-FOLK. 

many  Episcopal  rights, — is  the  House,  of  Clergy,  in  the 
Swedish  Parliament. 

This  is  made  up  of  the  archbishop,  who  is  ex  officio  presi 
dent,  and  the  bishops — twelve  in  number — together  with 
the  leading  pastor  of  Stockholm,  and  forty-four  deputies  of 
the  pastors  or  rectors,  with  a  few  deputies  of  the  chaplains. 
Besides  these,  there  are  one  or  two  members  from  each  of 
the  universities  at  Upsala  and  Lund,  and  two  from  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  at  Stockholm.  The  chaplains,  being 
of  the  poorer  class  of  the  clergy,  can  only  afford  to  send  a 
few  deputies,  so  that  the  whole  number  of  members  of  the 
House  is  only  about  sixty-two.  These  sixty-two  form  one- 
fourth  of  the  whole  representation  of  the  Swedish  Parlia 
ment,  though  having  a  constituency  of  only  about  2,700. 
They  can  block,  by  their  resistance,  any  measure  of  impor 
tance,  as  changes  in  the  Constitution  require  a  majority  of 
every  house. 

Though  the  church  has  a  strong  congregational  character, 
the  House  of  Clergy  is  very  much  under  the  royal  influence. 
One-third  of  the  livings  are  either  in  the  gift  of  the  crown, 
or  of  patrons  who  are  closely  connected  with  the  govern 
ment.  The  archbishop  is  appointed  by  the  king  from  candi 
dates  proposed.  The  bishops,  as  has  already  been  mentioned, 
are  selected  by  the  same  authority,  under  certain  conditions, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  clergy  are  naturally  much  influ 
enced  by  the  wishes  of  the  government,  holding  as  it  does 
the  highest  patronage  in  its  hands.  The  king,  also,  has  the 
power  of  absolute  veto  on  all  bills  which  affect  the  change 
or  the  forming  of  ecclesiastical  laws. 


HOUSE    OF    CLERGY.  449 

The  rectors  alone  are  chosen  as  members  by  the  congre 
gation,  from  the  three  proposed  by  the  consistory. 

With  this  powerful  royal  influence,  it  is  not  strange 
that  the  House  of  Clergy  has  been  the  great  hindrance  to 
progress  in  Sweden.  Through  the  clergy,  the  crown  can 
also  control  the  House  of  Peasants,  so  that  full  half  the 
Parliament  can  generally  be  relied  on  as  opposing  any 
efforts  at  radical  reform.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  in 
the  Swedish  Parliament,  the  liberal  bodies  are  the  Houses 
of  Nobles  and  of  Citizens. 

The  legislation  of  this  clerical  assembly  has  been  such  as 
might  be  expected.  There  are  laws  and  punishments  in  the 
Swedish  code  against  blasphemy,  against  the  mocking  of 
God's  word  and  the  sacraments,  the  falling  away  from  pure 
evangelical  doctrine,  the  spreading  of  erroneous  doctrines, 
the  violating  the  Sabbath,  the  despising  of  the  sermon  and 
the  holy  communion.  It  is  only  a  few  years  since,  that  the 
law  was  repealed  which  forbade  the  attending  any  other 
church  than  the  Evangelical  Lutheran,  by  a  Swedish  subject, 
on  penalty  of  about  five  riks-dollars. 

So  late  as  March,  1855,  a  law  was  passed  aimed  at  the 
Baptists,  which  made  it  a  misdemeanor,  punishable  with  a 
fine  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  riks-dollars,  for  a  layman 
to  celebrate  any  of  the  sacraments,  i.  e.,  to  baptize  or  admin 
ister  the  Lord's  Supper. 

In  1853,  an  artist  was  condemned  to  six  months'  banish 
ment,  because  he  had  renounced  the  Lutheran  faith. 

No  Jews  are  allowed  either  to  vote  or  sit  in  Parliament ; 
and,  before  1854,  they  were  permitted  to  reside  only  in  few 
towns  of  the  whole  kingdom. 


•4-50  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

The  attendance  of  clergymen  on  Parliament  is  a  great 
evil  to  their  parishes,  and  I  am  convinced  is  one  among 
many  causes  which  have  so  weakened  the  spiritual  power  of 
the  Swedish  church.  It  seems  to  me  quite  right  that  a 
clergyman  should  occasionally  have  a  part  in  legislation  and 
in  political  life  ;  but  thus  to  create  a  formal  clerical  diet,  is 
not  only  injurious  to  the  people,  but  gives  to  one  small  body 
an  altogether  undue  and  dangerous  weight  in  the  common 
wealth.  It  originated  when  the  priest  was  the  only  enlight 
ened  man  of  the  parish,  and  all  public  affairs  needed  his 
assistance.  That  time  has  passed  by  in  Sweden,  as  else 
where. 

This  whole  parliamentary  system  of  apportioning  a  repre 
sentation  to  the  clergy,  is  one  of  the  strong-holds  which  still 
support  the  almost  incredible  bigotry  with  which  Sweden  is 
now  so  painfully  eminent.  Where  the  Church  is  thus  a 
power  in  the  State,  she  gathers  around  her  the  worst  vices 
of  the  world,  rendered  yet  more  dangerous  by  the  cloak  and 
ceremonial  of  Religion.  Of  course,  there  are  beautiful 
exceptions  to  this  among  the  Swedish  pastors  and  bishops, 
instances  of  eminent  piety  and  enlarged  liberality ;  I  speak 
only  in  general  of  the  tone  and  temper  of  the  Church. 

The  Swedish  writers  who  discuss  this  subject,  seem  to  me 
generally  to  commit  one  great  mistake — they  confuse  the 
Church  with  Religion.  Of  course,  religion  should  now  and 
evermore  be  united  with  all  legislation  and  politics.  The 
ideal  of  a  State  is  a  society  and  government  inspired  with 
Christianity.  But  the  organized  form — the  Association 
which,  with  its  ceremonial,  its  wealth,  its  history  and  its 
men,  is  the  means  of  imparting  religious  life  to  the  world — 


A    PREDICTION.  451 

is  quite  another  thing,  and  comes  under  the  laws  which 
affect  human  conduct,  and  is  liable  to  no  small  share  of  the 
usual  human  temptations  and  dangers.  It  is  not  Religion, 
nor  even  organized  religion  ;  it  is  only  an  implement,  and  a 
very  imperfect  one  at  the  best. 

Thus  far,  the  experience  of  the  world  has  shown  that, 
wherever  this  spiritual  organization  is  gifted  with  political 
power,  and  is  placed  in  high  official  places,  there  will  be 
formality,  hypocrisy,  bigotry,  and  spiritual  lifelessness  The 
spiritual  hope  for  Sweden  lies  now,  we  believe,  in  its  despised 
dissent — the  poor  and  ignorant  Ldseri  (Methodism). 

We  believe  it  is  no  rash  effort  at  foretelling,  which  should 
say  that  this  century  will  see  the  disruption  and  convulsion 
of  the  Swedish  State  Church.  The  Baptists  and  Method 
ists  are  laboring  in  quiet,  earnest  way,  on  the  great  princi 
ples  of  Christianity  ;  and  the  very  nature  of  these  truths  is 
to  shatter  hierarchies,  and  to  tear  open  formalism  and 
hypocrisy.  They  have  thus  far  suffered  persecution,  ban 
ishment,  and  reproach  ;  but  each  day  their  cause  grows 
stronger,  and  takes  deeper  hold  of  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
The  upper  classes,  though  hesitating  to  join  the  ignorant 
Lasare,  are  equally  unsatisfied  with  the  clergy  and  their 
teaching.  The  Swedish  nature  is  one  that  cannot  rest  con 
tent  with  mere  skepticism  or  with  rationalism  unlighted  by 
religion.  It  is  inclined  to  religious  faith  and  consolation. 
It  is,  by  temperament,  almost  superstitious.  It  will  be  long 
in  taking  to  itself  new  supporters  of  its  faith,  or  in  adopting 
new  means  for  imparting  religious  life,  but  when  it  does,  it 
will  be  with  a  thorough  renouncing  of  the  old.  The  prc- 


452  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

sent  clergy  will  become  to  the  peasants  as  did  the  hierarchy 
of  England  to  the  Puritans  of  the  Revolution.  They  will 
abhor  and  renounce  them  ;  and  when  the  change  comes,  one 
of  the  great  things  done  will  be  the  utter  sweeping  away  of 
the  House  of  Clergy  and  all  political  powers  belonging 
thereunto.  The  Church  will  be  left  to  rest  where  it  should, 
on  the  personal  relations  of  pastor  and  people,  on  the  affec 
tion  of  the  one,  and  the  abilities  and  self-sacrifice  and  piety 
of  the  other. 

May  the  day  soon  draw  near  of  such  spiritual  liberty  to 
Sweden  ! 


CHAPTER    XL. 

THE     SWEDISH     PARLIAMENT. 

THE  Riksdag  or  Parliament  is  made  up  of  four  Houses  : 
1.  That  of  Nobles  ;  2.  Of  Clergy  ;  3.  Of  Burgers  or  Citi 
zens  ;  and  4.  Of  Bonders  or  Peasants. 

I.  The  House  of  Nobles  consists  of  three  ranks,  counts, 
barons    and   gentlemen.      The   senior  member  alone   of  a 
noble  family  has  a  hereditary  right  to  a  seat.     In  1850, 
there  were  more  than  1,500  noble  families  in  the  kingdom, 
and  432  representatives  of  them  in  the  Parliament. 

The  senior  member  will  frequently  give  his  seat  to  a 
junior  member  either  of  his  own  or  another  family.  A 
proxy  is  sometimes  sold  by  a  poor  noble,  indirectly,  to 
government.  An  instance  is  related — though  I  am  unable 
to  say  on  what  authority — of  the  crown  prince's  buying  a 
seat  during  the  late  discussions  on  parliamentary  reform, 
and  giving  it  to  a  friend  to  vote  against  the  liberal  party. 
The  nobles  of  Sweden  are  entirely  dependent  on  the  king 
for  what  is  their  great  ambition — promotion  in  the  army 
and  navy.  The  President  of  this  house  is  appointed  by  the 
king. 

II.  The  House  of  Clergy  has  been  described  in  the  pre- 


454  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

vious  chapter.  It  numbered,  in  1850,  64  members,  aud  re 
presented  2,773  voters.  As  has  been  shown,  it  is  greatly 
under  the  royal  influence. 

III.  The  House  of  Citizens.     This  is  chosen  by  all  those 
who  are  members  of  guilds  or  handicrafts  in  the  cities,  or 
who   belong  to  the   magistracy.      Many  residents    of  the 
towns  with  large  properties,  have  no  vote  for  this  body,  or 
for  their  own  local  government,  because  they  are  not  mem 
bers  of  guilds.     Yet,  by  a  strange  inconsistency,  they  can  be 
elected  to  a  city  office. 

In  1850,  this  house  had  56  members  and  represented 
13,496  voters.  Five  members  were  iron-manufacturers,  and 
represented  216  voters.  The  admission  of  these  last  is  a 
concession  of  modern  years  to  the  demands  for  reform. 

IV.  The  House  of  Bonders  (or  Peasants).    The  class  here 
represented  number  seven-ninths  of  the  whole  people,  or 
about  2,250,000  persons.     The  voters,  or  freeholders,  among 
these  in  1850,  were  about  202,608.     The   representatives, 
111;  or  1  to  1,825  voters,  and  1  to  20,270  peasants.     No 
scale  to  the  population  was  ever  proposed.     The  President 
and  Secretary  of  this  house  are  appointed  by  the  King. 

A  motion  was  made,  in  1851,  in  the  House  of  Peasants, 
that  they  should  elect  their  own  Secretary.  It  was  carried, 
and  finally  passed  all  four  houses,  but  was  vetoed  by^  the  King. 

The  pay  of  all  the  members  who  are  elected,  is  settled  by 
their  constituents.  In  the  rotten  boroughs,  a  bargain  is 
often  made,  and  the  cheapest  are  sent. 

Every  member  of  Parliament  must  have  been  confirmed, 
either  in  the  Reformed  or  Lutheran  Churches. 


INEQUALITIES.  455 

In  1845,  the  population  of  Sweden  was  3,316,536,  of 
which  the  four  classes  represented  in  Parliament  numbered 
only  2,346,248 — leaving  about  a  million  of  persons*  entirely 
unrepresented,  many  of  them  men  of  property  and  intelli 
gence,  as,  for  instance,  most  of  the  members  of  the  profes 
sions  of  law  and  medicine,  literary  people,  the  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy,  all  persons  engaged  in  public  service,  not 
belonging  to  any  of  the  four  classes,  and  all  day-laborers, 
apprentices,  and  Jews. 

SCALE    OF    PROPERTY. 

Nobles  (in  1850),  11,248  ;  real  estate  (of  which  one- 
third  is  mortgaged  to  the  Peasants  and  Burgers),  $30,000,- 
000.  Clergy,  15,000  ;  real  estate,  $400,000.  Burgers, 
70,000  ;  real  estate,  $14,000,000.  Peasants,  2,250,000  ; 
real  estate,  $68,000,000. 

Each  house  has  an  equal  vote — so  that  two  classes,  the 
Burgers  and  Clergy,  numbering  85,000,  and  paying  a  tax  of 
$145,000,  have  half  the  voice  of  the  Parliament,  while  the 
Peasants,  with  only  one  vote,  pay  a  tax  of  $2,500,000  ;  and 
of  the  unrepresented  million,  70,000  persons  of  fortune  and 
education  pay  a  tax  of  $800,000,  or  nearly  six  times  as 
much  as  the  two  classes  mentioned  above  ! 

The  first  business  of  each  house  is  the  appointment  of 
committees.  These  are  appointed  by  electors,  chosen  by 
ballot  for  the  purpose.  The  House  of  Peasants  alone  has 
the  power  of  choosing  the  committees  directly.  The  first  is 

*  Hon.  F.  Schroeder — Dispatches  to  the  Home  Department. 


4:56  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

the  Committee  on  the  Constitution.  This,  composed  of  six 
members  from  each  house,  has  charge  of  all  matters  of  con 
stitutional  law.  It  can  indict  the  royal  ministers  before  the 
Superior  Court,  and  report  on  the  proceedings  of  the  Cabi 
net.  The  second,  the  Committee  on  Finance;  the  third,  on 
Taxes ;  the  fourth,  on  Banks;  fifth,  on  Statute-Law;  sixth, 
on  general  Grievances  and  Order. 

After  these  appointments,  thirty  days  are  set  apart  for 
the  reception  of  motions  and  petitions,  and  what  is  called 
the  Relation  or  Report. 

All  reform-bills  or  fundamental  changes  in  the  constitu 
tion,  must  pass  all  four  houses,  and  be  carried  over  to 
another  session,  before  they  can  be  finally  passed. 

One  of  the  most  extraordinary  features  in  this  remarkable 
Constitution,  is  the  deciding  of  questions,  at  the  end  of  the 
session,  by  referring  them  to  what  are  called  "  Reinforced 
Committees."  These  are  made  up  of  twenty  or  thirty  mem 
bers  from  each  house,  chosen  by  vote.  They  decide  all 
questions  by  ballot,  and,  in  order  to  secure  a  decision,  the 
following  singular  means  are  employed.  After  depositing 
the  ballots,  one  is  taken  out  at  hazard,  to  be  reserved  as  a 
casting  vote.  If,  without  the  reserved  ballot,  a  majority  of 
one  should  be  the  result,  the  ballot  is  destroyed  uuexamined, 
and  a  decision  is  thus  often  obtained,  as  fortune  may  direct. 
"  Many  vexed  questions,"  says  Mr.  Schroeder,  "  after  long 
debates,  have  thus  been  settled  by  a  game  of  chance. 
Many  changes  of  tariff  thus,  and,  I  regret  to  say,  the  game 
has  not  always  been  a  lucky  one  for  American  interests." 

The   session   of    Parliament   cannot    last   beyond    three 


PARLIAMENTARY    BUSINESS.          457 

months,  though  it  may  be  prolonged,  by  informing  the 
King,  for  one  month  longer,  if  the  business  be  not  com 
pleted.  There  have  been  instances  of  the  Parliaments  sit 
ting  nearly  three  years. 

Xo  member  can  be  prosecuted  or  arraigned  for  words 
spoken  in  the  Parliament,  except  with  the  consent  of  five- 
sixths  of  his  house.  The  Parliament  usually  meets  once  in 
five  years. 

THE    ROYAL    POWERS. 

As  has  been  already  mentioned,  the  King  has  power  of 
absolute  veto  in  cases  of  constitutional  changes. 

With  reference  to  the  increase  or  laying  of  duties  or  taxes, 
he  has  no  power,  even  in  the  recesses  of  the  Parliament.  He 
has  liberty  only  to  reduce  them. 

The  executive  government  of  the  kingdom  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  King  and  his  Council  of  State,  composed  of  ten  mem 
bers.  The  King  himself  chooses  these — the  only  conditions 
being  that  they  should  be  born  Swedes,  of  pure  character, 
and  professing  the  Lutheran  faith. 

The  King  has  the  power  of  making  treaties  and  declaring 
war,  after  consulting,  with  an  extraordinary  Council  of  State. 
He  is  also  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  forces  by  land  and 
sea.  Strict  provisions  are  made  in  the  constitution  against 
his  assailing  the  rights  or  interfering  with  the  liberty  of 
conscience  of  any  individual  Swede. 

The  King  has  the  power  of  pardon,  though,  by  a  singular 
provision,  it  is  left  to  the  guilty  person  to  accept  it  or  not, 
as  he  may  prefer  (Art.  25). 

20 


458  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

The  High  Chancellor  of  Justice,  the  ambassadors  and 
principal  officials  of  the  kingdom,  the  bishops,  the  curates 
of  the  royal  parishes,  and  the '  burgomasters,  are  all  ap 
pointed  by  the  crown. 

No  requisition  of  men  or  money  can  be  made  for  purposes 
of  war,  without  the  full  consent  of  the  Parliament. 


GENERAL    LAWS. 

The  liberty  of  the  Press  is  one  of  the  fundamental  provi 
sions  of  the  Swedish  Constitution,  and  has  been  further 
guarded  by  subsequent  acts.*f 

*  A  trial  by  jury  is  provided  in  Sweden  for  any  one  accused  of 
abusing  the  liberty  of  the  press.  Thirteen  persons  are  presented  for 
jurymen,  of  whom  the  judge  names  five,  the  prosecuting  officer  four, 
and  the  accused  four.  The  latter  is  allowed  to  challenge  two — thus 
reducing  the  thirteen  to  eleven,  and  leaving  only  seven  nominated 
by  the  court  and  public  prosecutor. 

f  Free  Press  in  Sweden. — Galignani's  Messenger,  of  Paris,  of  25th 
December,  1856,  contains  the  following  news  summary  : 

"The  liberty  of  the  press  has  just  achieved  a  triumph  in  Sweden. 
The  four  Chambers  of  the  Diet  have  unanimously  rejected  a  bill  of 
last  session,  which  erases  from  the  constitution  and  places  in  the 
rank  of  ordinary  laws  that  which  guarantees  the  liberty  of  the  press. 
In  the  Chamber  of  Nobles,  one  of  the  ministers  (M.  de  Gripenstedt) 
made  a  sort  of  apology  for  presenting  the  bill,  saying,  '  Ministers  are 
men,  and  as  such  are  liable  to  commit  errors.'  The  rejection  took 
place  almost  without  discussion,  in  the  Chamber  of  the  Clergy  and  of 
the  Burgers.  In  the  Chamber  of  Peasants,  fifty  members  spoke 
against  the  measure.  The  last  speaker,  in  concluding,  said:  'The 


ELECTION    OF    KING.  459 

In  an  elective  kingdom,  like  this  of  Sweden,  the  right  of 
election  of  the  king,  in  case  of  the  extinction  of  the  royal 
line,  is  naturally  left  with  the  Parliament. 

Careful  provision  is  made  for  the  impeachment  of  the 
Council  of  State,  if  it  is  discovered  that  they  have  either 
counselled  the  King  to  unconstitutional  measures,  or  have 
themselves  transgressed  the  laws  of  the  kingdom,  or  neg 
lected,  when  informed  of  them,  the  infractions  of  such  laws. 

REGENCY. 

No  two  hostile  countries,  placed  in  unexpected  union, 
could  be  more  jealous  and  cautious  in  all  their  provisions 
towards  each  other,  than  are  Sweden  and  Norway. 

In  case  of  the  absence  of  the  King,  it  is  provided  that 
there  shall  be  a  Regency  at  Stockholm,  composed  of  ten 
Swedes  and  ten  Norwegians.  The  Swedish  members  are, 
ex  ojficio,  the  members  of  the  King's  Cabinet — that  is,  the 
Ministers  of  Justice  and  Foreign  Affairs,  and  eight  ordinary 
Councillors  of  State.  The  Norwegian  are,  the  Norwegian 
Minister  of  State,  two  Councillors  of  State,  always  resident 
in  Stockholm,  and  seven  Councillors,  summoned  from  Nor 
way  for  the  occasion.  The  Swedish  Minister  of  Justice  and 
the  Norwegian  Minister  of  State  draw  lots  for  the  First 
Presidency,  and  then  each  presides  in  rotation  for  eight 

liberty  of  the  press  is  the  tongue  of  the  nation,  and  the  wish  now  is 
to  cut  it  out.  Will  you  allow  that  to  be  done?'  'No  !  no!  a  thou 
sand  times  no !  God  preserve  us  from  it ! '  was  the  cry  of  all  the 
others." 


460  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

days.  The  President  votes  with  the  other  nineteen,  and,  in 
a  tie,  has  a  second  casting  vote — thus  giving  a  decision  to 
each  kingdom  every  alternate  week.  In  Norwegian  mat 
ters,  the  Norwegian  language  is  used  ;  in  Swedish  matters, 
the  Swedish  language.  Subjects  affecting  the  interests  of 
both  kingdoms,  shall  be  propounded  by  the  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  a  Swede,  and  then  drawn  up  by  the  Prime 
Ministers  of  each  kingdom  in  their  own  language.  No  mem 
ber  of  the  royal  family  can  be  admitted  to  this  council — not 
even  the  Crown  Prince,  who  has  a  seat  in  the  Cabinet.* 

*  "Those  who  take  an  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  north  of  Europe 
have  not,  perhaps,  passed  unnoticed  the  fact  published  in  the  Swedish 
official  jouwial  of  the  appointment  of  a  mixed  commission  of  six 
Swedes  and  six  Norwegians,  to  meet  at  Christiania,  under  the  presi 
dency  of  the  Viceroy,  for  the  better  determination  of  the  act  of 
union  between  the  two  countries.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that, 
though  the  sister  kingdoms  have  been  upwards  of  forty  years  under 
the  same  ruler,  their  mutual  obligations,  in  the  event  of  war,  are 
still  undefined.  It  is  in  order  to  supply  this  important  omission,  and 
to  obviate  any  discussion  that  might  arise  in  the  hour  of  action,  and 
prevent  any  fatal  indecision  at  a  time  of  common  peril,  that  this 
commission  has  been  named.  It  will  be  their  duty  to  prepare  the 
draught  of  a  law  fixing  the  military  contingent  to  be  furnished  by 
each  country  in  the  event  of  their  independence  being  threatened. 
They  will  also  have  to  determine  the  forces  to  be  maintained  in  time 
of  peace,  the  reserves  to  be  raised  in  time  of  war,  the  number  of 
ships  to  be  manned  ;  and,  after  providing  for  the  defence  of  the  two 
kingdoms,  they  will  be  called  upon  to  decide  in  what  proportion  the 
expenses  of  the  war  are  to  be  borne  by  each.  Of  course,  due  regard 
will  be  taken  to  make  a  fair  allotment  of  those  obligations  according 
to  the  respective  populations.  At  all  events,  the  labors  of  the  com- 


THE    CONSTITUTION.  461 

The  absurdities  and  awkwardnesses  of  the  Swedish  Con 
stitution  are  so  evident  on  the  face  of  it,  that  they  hardly 
seem  to  need  detailing.  The  great  wonder  is,  that  an  instru 
ment  so  unpractical  and  cumbersome  and  unjust  in  its  provi 
sions,  should  have  existed  thus  long  in  a  country  as  intelligent 
and  enlightened  as  Sweden.  There  is  the  less  need  here  of 
enlarging  on  them,  as  my  whole  journey  has  been  a  com 
mentary  on  their  injurious  effects. 

Here  is  a  constitution  which  creates  four  independent 
deliberative  and  legislative  bodies,  with  a  separate,  array  of 
officers  and  order  of  business.  Many  important  measures, 
to  become  laws,  must  pass  three  out  of  the  four,  and  some 
must  pass  the  whole  four.  How  easy  for  one  chamber  to 
delay  before  taking  up  a  bill,  or  to  cumber  it  with  amead- 
ments  ;  how  natural  that  the  esprit  du  corps  of  each  house 
should  affect  it  in  considering  public  measures,  and  hold  it 
from  meeting  the  wishes  of  the  people  ;  how  many  separate 
interests  to  conciliate,  how  many  classes  to  manage,  how 
many  ceremonies  and  necessary  business-arrangements,  how 
much  jealousy  and  rivalry  and  class-feeling,  before  even  a 
simple  measure  of  public  interest  could  become  a  law  !  We 
see  something  of  the  difficulty  in  America,  even  with  two 
houses  :  what  would  it  be  with  four  ? 

Then,  in  addition,  one  of  these  houses  represents  an  inter 
est  which  should  not  be  represented  on  the  political  field — the 
clergy — which,  if  it  be  represented,  will  probably  become  the 

mission  must  lead  to  a  closer  union  of  the  two  countries,  and  to  a 
considerable  increase  of  the  common  force." — English  paper ',  Janu 
ary,  1857. 


462  THE    NORSE -FoLK. 

most  impracticable,  narrow,  and  illiberal  interest  of  them 
all. 

Beside  this,  the  Constitution  is  unjust  in  only  granting 
one-fourth  representation  to  what  makes  up  at  least  seven- 
ninths  of  the  whole  population — the  class  of  farmers  :  a 
class  which,  in  wealth  and  in  its  payments  for  the  support 
of  government,  is  by  far  the  most  important  interest. 

But,  worst  of  all,  this  Constitution,  through  its  arbitrary 
conditions,  shuts  out  nearly  a  million  of  persons,  many  of 
whom  would  be  the  best  qualified  of  any  classes  for  the  con 
trol  of  public  affairs.  Why  this  objection  at  least  has  not 
long  ago  been  removed,  is  utterly  incomprehensible. 

The  King,  also,  in  this  division  of  houses,  is  given  an 
altogether  undue  weight,  through  his  influence  and  power 
over  two  at  least  of  the  chambers. 

What  wonder  that  a  country  under  such  a  government 
should  be  conspicuous  in  Europe,  as  almost  the  last  to 
adopt  modern  improvements* — railroads,  stage-coaches, 
telegraphs  and  popular  schools  !  What  wonder  that  the 
bigotry  and  narrowness  of  its  legislation  should  be  the 
object  of  scoffing,  even  in  the  Roman  Catholic  countries  ! 
In  what  Protestant  country  but  in  Sweden,  at  this  day,  could 
a  man  be  punished  or  fined  for  his  religious  opinions  ?f 

*  There  is  not  yet  constructed  a  single  railroad  of  any  considerable 
length  in  Sweden. 

f  The  following  information  has  reached  this  country  since  the 
above  was  written.  The  bill  for  establishing  greater  religious  liberty, 
which  the  king,  on  opening  the  Diet,  announced,  has  been  published 
in  the  official  gazette  in  Stockholm,  on  Nov.  27,  1856.  It  sadly  dis- 


BIGOTRY.  463 

Where  else  could  a  law  be  still  upheld,  forbidding  a  commer 
cial  house  from  having  a  branch-house,  or  preventing  a  for 
eigner  from  transacting  business  except  through  an  attorney  ? 
All  this  is  the  more  astonishing  to  a  traveller,  when  he 

appoints  the  friends  of  religious  liberty.  It  leaves  the  provision  of 
the  Constitution,  according  to  which  only  Lutherans  are  eligible  for 
a  public  office,  unchanged.  It  proposes  a  heavy  fine  for  every  one 
who  explains  publicly  heretical  doctrines  in  any  other  place  except  a 
church  which  does  not  belong  to  the  State  Church,  and  likewise  for 
every  one  who  persuades  others  to  apostatize  from  the  true  Lutheran 
Church.  A  legal  suit  for  contravention  to  this  law  can,  however, 
only  be  commenced  on  order  given  by  a  royal  chancellor  of  justice. 
The  children  of  parents  belonging  to  the  Swedish  church  are  consi 
dered  as  members  of  this  church,  and  must  be  raised  in  her  doctrines, 
even  if  the  parents,  after  the  birth  of  the  children,  should  embrace 
another  creed.  The  royal  decree  of  1726,  which  forbids  all  particu 
lar  religious  meetings,  besides  the  public  divine  worship  in  the 
parish  church,  is  repealed,  but  it  is  again  provided,  that  every  reli 
gious  meeting,  even  the  prayer-meetings  of  a  family,  if  not  pre 
sided  over  by  the  local  clergy,  must  be  open  for  the  inspection  of 
public  officers,  who  have  the  right  to  dissolve  them.  The  only  con 
cession  made  is  the  abolition  of  the  punishment  of  exile,  and  the 
permission  to  secede  from  the  State-Church.  But  even  this  trifle 
meets  with  a  strong  opposition.  The  whole  conservative  party 
declares  itself  against  it.  It  has  become  known  that,  on  account 
of  this  law,  three  ministers,  who  are  considered  as  leaders  of 
the  conservative  party,  have  tendered  to  the  king  their  resigna 
tion.  The  conservative  papers,  in  particular  the  Monthly  Review  of 
Mr.  Crusenstalpe,  alarm  the  country  with  the  cry  that  the  Swedish 
Church  is  in  danger.  The  liberal  party,  on  the  other  hand,  makes 
great  efforts  to  secure  the  passage  of  the  bill,  and  circulates  every 
where  petitions,  declaring  that  if  the  law  is  not  adopted,  the  signers 


4:64=  THE    NOESE-FOLK. 

reflects  on  the  public  opinion  upon  this  matter,  which  every 
where  encounters  him.  Excepting  a  few  among  the  clergy 
men,  I  hardly  met  with  a  man,  peasant,  citizen  or  noble,  who 
seemed  contented  with  the  Constitution.  Many  projects  of 
reform — as  hinted  at  in  different  parts  of  my  journey — have 
been  put  forward,  but  thus  far  with  little  effect.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  enlightened  Swedes,  that  nothing  but  the  fear  of 
revolution  will  force  the  government  and  the  Parliament  to 
measures  of  thorough  reform. 

With  all  these  objections  to  the  Swedish  Constitution, 
there  is  one  advantage  from  it  in  the  history  of  the  past, 
which  is  to  be  fairly  and  fully  allowed.  It  gave  an  early 
and,  for  the  times,  fair  representation  to  the  class  of 
peasants.  Never  having  suffered  under  the  oppressions  of 
feudalism,  this  class  have  from  the  beginning  taken  such  a 
position,  as  no  other  peasantry  in  Europe  have  attained. 
They  have  held  it  through  the  whole  history  of  Sweden,  and 
now,  the  masses  of  Sweden  are  far  above  the  similar  classes 
in  continental  Europe,  in  habits  of  government,  and  in  the 
understanding  of  and  love  for  their  rights  and  liberties. 
With  the  improvement  of  schools,  the  introduction  of  rail 
ways  and  modern  inventions,  and  a  new  Parliamentary  sys 
tem,  this  class  will  be  prepared  for  what  in  numbers  and 
wealth  they  could  claim — the  general  government  of  Sweden. 

will  leave  the  state  church  in  order  to  make  the  execution  of  the 
law  impossible.  They  are  of  opinion  that  no  ministry  will  dare  to 
send  thousands  of  Swedes  into  exile  for  having  seceded  from  the 
church. — Independent, 


CHAPTER    XLT. 

THE    RACES     IN     SWEDEN. 

IF  one  examines  the  museums  of  antiquity  and  the  cranio- 
logical  collections  in  Sweden,  he  will  find  traces  of  what 
may  be  called  the  earliest  substratum  of  the  population  ; 
a  race,  which,  in  an  unknown  age  of  the  past,  was  forced 
from  the  great  plateau  of  Central  Asia  down  among  the 
forests  and  rivers  of  Europe.  A  people  which  perhaps 
first  penetrated  the  primeval  wilderness  of  Germany,  and 
spread  its  tribes  to  France  and  Switzerland,  long  before 
the  existence  in  Europe  of  the  Celts,  the  Germans  or  the 
Goths,  whom  Latin  historians  describe. 

By  some  mode,  either  reaching  it  in  boats,  or  crossing 
to  it  on  the  ice,  this  great  tribe  gained  a  lodgment  in 
the  uninhabited  plain  of  Southern  Sweden,  and  among  the 
savage  forests  of  Scandinavia. 

Their  settlements  or  encampments  reached  as  far  north 
as  Halland  and  West  Gothland.  They  were  solely  a  hunt 
ing  and  fishing  people,  and  never  engaged  in  agriculture. 
Their  civilization,  to  judge  from  their  implements,  was 
scarcely  beyond  that  of  the  South  Sea  Islanders.  No 
metals  were  known  to  them  ;  and  bone  and  stone,  the  latter 

20*  465 


466  THEISTOKSE-FOLK. 

often  not  even  polished  or  hewn,  were  their  chief  materials. 
The  making  of  pottery  was  understood  among  them,  and 
they  made  use  of  vases  and  lamps  of  clay.  Their  ornaments 
were  often  the  teeth  of  dogs  or  of  wild  animals.  Flint 
arrow-heads,  precisely  like  those  discovered  in  our  Ameri 
can  mounds,  were  everywhere  in  use  among  them.  This 
savage  race — the  Indians  of  Europe — have  left  no  trace 
in  nearly  all  the  lands  which  they  invaded  and  inhabited, 
except  their  graves.  No  myths,  or  names,  or  superstitions, 
or  early  customs  have  come  down  from  them.  They  buried 
their  dead  in  mounds  of  loose  stones  ;  they  hunted  and 
fished,  and  finally  in  continental  Europe  became  extinct, 
while  in  Scandinavia  they  were  pressed  back  to  the  bleak 
polar  regions — this  is  all  that  is  known  of  their  life.  They 
are  distinguished  as  having  round  or  short  skulls  (br 'achy- 
cephalic),  receding  frontal  bones,  the  nose  with  its  roots 
deep  sunk  in  the  sockets,  and  projecting  under-jaw.  They 
belonged  to  the  great  TSCHUDIC  family,  and  were  kindred 
to  the  Finns,  the  Hungarians,  and  the  Turks.  Their 
modern  descendants  in  Scandinavia  are  divided  into  the 
two  branches  of  which  mention  has  already  been  made — 
the  Quanes  and  Finns. 

The  next  invading  tribe*  which  swept  over  Northern 
Europe,  was  of  a  far  higher  culture  than  the  Tschudes. 
They  came  too  from  Asia,  but  of  different  stock.  They 
brought  with  them  a  few  of  the  arts  of  agriculture,  the 
knowledge  of  bronze  as  a  metal  of  use,  a  fine  taste  and 

*  There  is  some  slight  evidence  of  Phoenician  settlement  on  the 
Swedish  islands,  not  however  worthy  of  much  consideration  here. 


THE    KELTS.  467 

conception  of  beauty,  superior  to  that  of  the  Germanic 
tribes  who  followed  them — our  own  ancestors — and  a  more 
imaginative  mythology.  They  spread  over  much  of  Eu 
rope,*  even  to  Ireland  and  Scotland,  reaching  England, 
it  is  supposed,  about  600  B.  c.f  The  names  which  they 
gave  to  the  mountains  on  the  continent  still  exist.  In 
Scandinavia  they  have  left  a  few  words  in  the  ancient 
Norse,  a  few  myths  among  the  superstitions  of  the  people, 
and  innumerable  relics  in  their  tombs.  They  are  the  CELTS, 
or  more  properly,  following  the  Greek  orthography  from 
which  they  get  their  name,  the  KELTS.  They  do  not  ap 
pear  to  have  penetrated  farther  North  in  Sweden  than 
Bohuslan.J  Unlike  the  preceding  tribe,  they  burned  their 
dead,  though  often  using  the  old  tombs  of  the  Tschudic 
Finns.  Their  bronze  is  the  very  best  admixture,  and  worked 
into  all  the  implements  of  chase  and  war  and  common 
agriculture,  beside  manifold  forms  of  grace  and  beauty  for 
ornaments. 

The  museums  of  Sweden  and  Denmark  have  a  vast 
quantity  of  the  relics  of  this  race,  manifesting  often  a  high 
degree  of  taste  and  refinement.  The  Kelts  are  distinguished 
by  craniologists  as  having  long  skulls,  and  therefore  nearer 
the  Teutonic  tribes  than  are  the  Tschudic  Finns.  Their 
language  is  only  one  branch  of  the  great  family  in  which 
the  Germanic  languages  are  included. 

By  what  sudden  and  overwhelming  attack  from  a  ruder 
tribe  this  race  was  overborne  in  Sweden,  or  precisely  in 

*  Bunsen's  Philosophy  of  History.  f  Dr.  Max  Miiller. 

\  Wemhold — Alt  Nordisches  Leben. 


468  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

what  year,  is  uncertain.  Chronologists  give  400  B.  c.,  as 
the  date  of  the  great  invasion  of  the  Teutonic  tribes  ;  and 
the  Keltic  remains  show  often  token  of  a  violent  and 
unexpected  destruction.  By  a  singular  evidence,  confirming 
the  testimony  from  the  Scandinavian  burial  mounds,  we 
are  certain  that  our  ancestors  came  forth  from  the  great 
plateau  of  Asia  while  yet  possessing  some  knowledge  of 
agriculture.  It  is  now  well  known  that  many  of  the  words 
in  our  family  of  languages — the  Indo-European — describing 
crops  and  processes  of  tilling  the  ground,  come  directly 
from  the  ancient  Sanscrit.  The  Teutons  were  acquainted 
also  with  the  use  of  iron,  though  still  employing  the  bronze 
aad  the  stone  implements  of  the  races  who  occupied  the 
land  before  them.  We  have  yet  a  word  in  English,  which 
is  a  relic  from  our  barbarous  Norse  fathers,  as  direct  as  the 
stone  weapons  in  the  Scandinavian  museums — hammer,  the 
old  Norse  word  for  the  stone  which  they  broke,  and  after 
wards  for  the  s^dwe-implement  which  they  used  to  break 
it,  before  the  iron  was  employed  for  the  purpose. 

The  Teutonic  tribes  who  settled  Scandinavia  may  be 
classed,  accepting  Dr.  WEINHOLD'S  division,  into  the  Dano~ 
Gothic  and  the  Norwegio- Gothic.  The  former  made  their 
habitations  in  the  Danish  Islands  and  the  neighborhood  ; 
the  latter  crossed  to  Sweden  and  Norway.  The  Nor 
wegian  emigration  might  have  crossed  direct  to  the  southern 
coast ;  or,  after  passing  over  Sweden,  have  penetrated  the 
North  of  Norway  from  the  coast  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  escap 
ing  thus  the  formidable  barrier  of  the  mountains  which 
separate  the  two  countries.  The  Swedish  portion  made 


THE    GOTHS.  469 

two  especial  settlements,  one  near  Gottenburg  on  the 
Gb'tha,  who  were  called  the  West  Goths;  the  other  on  the 
Motala,  near  Norrkoping,  called  East  Goths.  Still  an 
other  Teutonic  tribe,  probably  at  a  later  period,*  settled 
the  central  and  northern  provinces  of  Sweden,  making 
their  centres  of  worship  and  trade,  Sigtuna  and  Upsala. 
These  are  the  Suiones,  or  Swedes,  who  have  given  their 
name  to  the  country,  and  whose  kingdom  was  called 
Suithiod. 

From  both  these  great  branches  of  the  Teutonic  family — 
the  Danish  and  the  Norwegian  Northmen — our  own  race, 
the  Anglo-Norman,  is  descended.  Even  at  the  present 
time,  the  natives  of  Sweden,  Denmark,  and  Norway  are 
able  to  understand  each  other's  languages,  though  they 
cannot  speak  any  but  their  own.  In  these  early  times, 
however,  the  language  was  the  same,  and  even  later,  when 
the  solitary  little  Republic  of  Iceland,  protected  from  wars 
and  favored  by  a  climate  which  led  to  an  in-door,  intellec 
tual  life,  had  become  the  centre  of  an  original  and  vigorous 
oral  and  written  literature,  it  was  the  boast  of  her  skalds, 
that  the  Norse  tongue  was  the  only  language  for  warriors 
and  poets  from  the  North  Cape  over  Sweden,  Denmark, 
Normandy,  and  the  English  Islands  to  the  western  coast 
of  Ireland. 

The  colony,  from  its  superior  cultivation,  may  be  said 

to  have  given  the  language  to  the  mother-country.     At  this 

day,    the    two   languages,   Danish   and  Swedish,   are  only 

idioms   derived  from   the   original   Norse,  while   alone  in 

*  Geijer. 


470  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

Iceland  are  its  pure  remains  to  be  found.  The  Icelander 
of  this  day  can  read  the  Eddas,  but  to  the  Danes,  Swedes, 
and  Norwegians  they  are  almost  as  much  a  closed  book 
as  to  an  Englishman.  The  modern  Norse,  and  its  off 
shoots,  are  far  below  the  ancient  Icelandic*  in  richness 
and  completeness. 

This  is  one  of  the  instances  brought  forward  by  philo 
sophical  writers,  f  to  show  how  colonization  will  sometimes 
settle  a  language  and  preserve  it  in  its  richness,  while  the 
original  language  in  the  mother  country  may  degenerate. 

Of  the  appearance  of  our  earliest  ancestors,  we  have 
abundant  evidence.  The  most  imposing  in  size  were  pro 
bably  the  Norwegian,  and  as  a  natural  consequence,  these 
had  a  profound  contempt  for  all  the  other  Scandinavians. 
Some  Arabian  writers,  who  saw  the  Northmen  later,  as 
Varangians  at  the  Court  of  Constantinople,  describe  their 
"forms  to  be  like  palm-trees."  The  king  was  frequently 
chosen  for  his  weight  of  body.  It  is  related  of  Hialmter 
and  olver,  two  heroes,  that  one  always  needed  two  seats 
and  the  other  three,  on  the  drinking  bench.  Sorli,  son 
of  the  Upland  King,  could  break  down  a  strong  horse  in 
half  a  day,  by  his  weight  alone.  The  skeletons  found  in 
the  tombs  show  powerful,  though  by  no  means  gigantic, 
bodies. 

The  hands  and  feet  were  small.     The  small  handles  of 

*  It  is  said  that  the  old  Norse  has  one  hundred  and  fifty  words  to 
express  the  sea  iu  its  different  appearances! 
f  Bunsen. 


APPEARANCE    OF    NORSEMEN.        471 

the  weapons,  preserved  in  Northern  museums,  excite  as 
tonishment  even  now.  This  delicacy  was  thought  a  sign 
of  noble  blood. 

The  color  was  blonde.  Gods  and  goddesses  had  the 
light  hair  and  pure  color.  The  elves  were  fair  ;  only  the 
dwarfs  were  dark.  Baldur,  the  god  of  beauty  and  love, 
was  blonde  ;  the  divine  women,  Iduna  and  Gerda,  had  the 
whitest  arms,  and  Gerda  fills  air  and  sea  with  her  brilliancy.* 
The  thralls  were  black.  Disgracefully  as  the  Americo- 
Norman  has  yielded  to  his  prejudice  against  color,  he 
comes  ethnologically  by  it.  The  old  Norse  curse  was  "  Be 
a  black  slave  !"  Hagny,  the  spouse  of  King  Hio'r  Halfson, 
brought  forth  black  and  ugly  twins.  Fearing  the  wrath 
of  her  lord,  she  exchanged  them  with  the  new-born  twins 
of  a  servant  maid,  which  were  fair.  As  they  grew  up, 
the  latter  began  to  show  their  slavish  cowardice,  while  the 
others,  though  thralls,  bore  themselves  like  the  free-born. 
At  length,  the  queen  disclosed  it  to  the  father,  but  he 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  "hell-skins,"  and  left 
them  in  slavery. 

An  equal  sign  of  the  genuine  Northman  was  his  eye, 
which  must  be  bright  and  sparkling,  "with  a  quick  play, 
like  the  serpent's."f 

Siegfried,  to  escape  his  pursuers,  disguised  himself  as  a 
miller's  maid  ;  but  his  eyes  betrayed  him,  and  he  escaped 
by  saying  that  he  was  an  imprisoned  Valkyria  from  the  gods. 

"  Thou  hast  a  noble  man's  eyes  1"  said  Sterlingson  to  the 

*  Dr.  Weinhold.  f  Ibid. 


4:72  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

defeated  Hrafa,  who,  disguised  as  a  peasant,  sought  hospi 
tality  at  his  fireside. 

The  nose  was  high  and  straight.  A  small,  distorted  nose 
was  the  sign  of  serfdom.  The  hair  was  yellow  and  golden, 
and,  on  the  women  of  beauty,  very  long.  Jarl  Thorgnyr, 
of  Jutland,  sits  on  the  hill  where  his  wife  is  buried,  when  a 
swallow,  flying  over,  drops  a  human  hair,  long  as  a  man  and 
of  golden  brilliancy.  The  Jarl  is  entranced,  and  swears  he 
must  win  her  whose  it  had  been.  He  discovers  it  is  Inge- 
gerd's,  the  daughter  of  the  Russian  king. 
(  The  men  wore  the  beard  full  and  long,  but  only  seldom 
the  moustache.  Of  a  celebrated  Bonder,  it  is  related  that 
his  beard  fell  over  his  knees  when  he  sat. 


THE   RUNES. 

The  earliest  written  language  of  the  Teutonic  tribes  in 
Scandinavia — the  Runic — was  evidently  obtained  by  them 
through  the  Phoenicians  and,  Greeks,  and  derived  from  East 
ern  Asia.*  Like  the  original  Hebrew,  each  letter  was  an 
idasogram  ;  it  represented  not  a  sound,  but  a  thought,  or  an 
object,  the  word  for  which  began  with  the  letter  in  question. 
Though,  by  the  abstract  and  sensual  tendency  of  the  Ger 
man  mind,  thus  early  made  a  language  of  hieroglyphics,  it 
was  not  confined  to  any  one  class.  All  who  were  educated 
used  it.  The  Runic  has  left  few  important  traces  of  itself ; 

*  (Dr.  Weinhold — Bunsen.)     The  only  exception  to  this  origin  of 
the  Runes,  is  the  letter  B. 


THE    R'UNES.  473 

and  when,  after  the  trading  and  plundering  expeditions  of 
the  early  Vikings,  the  people  began  to  come  in  contact  with 
the  less  cumbersome  and  difficult  alphabet  of  the  Latin 
races,  the  latter  easily  prevailed  over  the  Runes.  So  that, 
except  burial  inscriptions  and  a  few  historical  notations,  the 
Runic  language  has  given  nothing  to  the  world,  while  all  the 
ancient  sagas  and  chronicles  have  been  rendered  and  handed 
down  in  the  Roman  alphabet.  The  Runic  stones  prevail 
most  between  the  tenth  and  twelfth  centuries,  and  disap 
pear  after  the  thirteenth.  The  Runes  yielded  first*  in  the 
churches,  and  among  the  monks  and  priests,  to  the  Roman 
letters  ;  and  the  change  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most 
fortunate  circumstances  for  the  improved  culture  of  the 
Scandinavian  races.  Owing  to  the  mystery  attached  in 
early  times  to  writing,  the  Runes  were,  from  a  remote  age, 
looked  on  as  something  magical  or  mysterious.  Each  letter 
was  thought  to  have  a  peculiar  supernatural  power.  There 
were  runes  of  love  ;  runes  of  medicine  ;  runes  of  victory  ; 
of  life  and  of  death. 

In  an  old  Swedish  ballad  we  hear — 


;  The  first  stroke  she  struck  on  the  gold-harp, 

So  sweetly  did  it  sound, 
The  wild  deer,  both  in  wood  and  wold, 

Forgot  to  leap  and  bound, 
Ye  practise  the  runes  so  well. 

'  The  third  stroke  she  struck  on  the  gold-harp, 
So  sweetly  did  it  play, 

*  Dr.  Legis — Die  Runen. 


474:  THE    NORSE- FOLK. 

The  little  fish  in  the  flood  below, 

Forgot  to  swim  away, 
Ye  practise  the  runes  so  well."* 

By  runes,  Odin  compelled  the  Vala  to  awake  from  the 
dead,  in  the  realms  of  Hela.  "  By  runes,  he  could  vanquish 
armies,  destroy  the  edge  of  weapons,  raise  or  lay  tempests 
on  land  or  sea,  put  out  fires,  fill  the  hearts  of  men  with 
terrors,  or  tranquillize  the  heart  in  sorrow."f 

The  runes  even  yet  survive  in  Sweden,  in  calendars  and 
business-notations  among  the  peasantry. 

*  Hewitt's  Northern  Europe.  \  Ibid. 


1 1 1. 


Denmark 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

COPENHAGEN. 

COPENHAGEN  is  only  an  hour  or  two  from  Malmo  by  steam 
boat.  I  find  the  Danish  capital  a  most  agreeable  old  city, 
impressing  one  as  it  is  always  described,  as  a  centre  of  much 
cultivation  and  intelligence.  The  manners  of  the  people  are 
exceedingly  pleasant  and  courteous.  Hospitality  is  given  in 
the  most  simple  and  refined  mode,  and  the  table-companies 
show  the  sparkling  wit  and  grace  for  which  the  Danes  are  so 
distinguished.  It  is  surprising  how  generally  education  is  dis 
tributed.  The  landlord  of  my  hotel,  for  instance — the  Loven, 
a  second-rate  house,  though  a  most  comfortable  one — is  a 
cultivated  gentleman,  speaking  foreign  languages,  and  inte 
rested  in  the  scholarship  and  politics  of  the  day.  The 
schools  are  on  a  much  better  footing  than  either  the  Swed 
ish  or  Norwegian  schools.  Then  the  facilities  for  study 
here,  for  the  investigation  of  Northern  antiquities  and 
language,  and  for  the  pursuits  of  art,  are  remarkable.  The 
collection  of  old  Norse  remains,  of  gold,  bronze,  iron, 
amber,  pottery  and  bone,  gathered  from  the  thousands  of 
tombs  and  tumuli  over  Denmark,  Sweden  and  Norway,  is 
excellent — worth  alone  a  journey  to  Copenhagen  to  invest!- 


478  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

gate.  The  arrangement — made  by  an  enthusiast  in  the 
science,  Prof.  Thomson,  is  most  clear  and  philosophical,  and 
is  said  to  have  been  imitated  in  the  British  Museum  and  all 
succeeding  collections.  Whether  the  professor's  theory  of 
the  different  "ages"  of  the  different  materials  should  be 
altogether  accepted,  is  quite  another  question.  I  was 
shown  also  over  the  Royal  Library  by  the  librarian,  and  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  some  of  the  old  Icelandic  MSS.  Still, 
to  be  honest,  I  must  own  that  books,  as  antiquities — that  is, 
in  the  evidences  they  show  of  manual  skill  and  labor — do  not 
interest  me  as  do  other  objects  of  antiquity,  those  especially 
more  intimately  associated  with  the  life  of  a  young  people. 

There  is  evidently  much  very  pleasant  sociality  in  the 
open  air  here,  such  as  we  see  in  the  German  cities.  The 
parks  and  gardens  around  the  city  are  thronged  with  cheer 
ful  groups  of  people.  Time  passes  here  with  the  intelligent 
agreeable  society  you  meet,  most  easily. 

It  is  an  unfortunate  time,  however,  for  an  American  to 
visit  the  Danish  capital.  I  cannot  but  feel  a  species  of  well- 
bred  constraint  among  people  which  I  never  met  with  in 
Sweden.  America  is  just  now  detested  (during  the  disa 
greement  on  the  Sound-Dues),  as  a  quarrelsome  bully, 
who  is  trying  to  wrest  an  ancient  estate  from  a  weak 
neighbor  ;  and  the  Danish  press  foment  this  feeling  by  the 
most  exaggerated  stories  of  our  coarse  social  manners  and 
our  corrupt  politics,  and  by  repeating  many  "ower  true" 
accounts  of  the  disgraceful  tyranny  and  servitude  in  our 
Southern  States.  One  gentleman  I  have  met — who  said  he 
was  probably  commercially  more  interested  in  the  Sound- 


SOUND-DUES.  479 

Dues  question  than  any  house  in  Denmark — allowed  that 
we  had  complete  justice  ;  that  we  were  under  no  obligations 
to  recognize  the  old  arbitrary  dues  and  restrictions  esta 
blished  in  feudal  times  by  other  powers,  in  treaties  of  which 
we  were  never  parties.  I  told  him  that  I  was  sure,  so  far 
as  it  was  a  question  of  money,  it  was  a  matter  of  no 
importance  to  the  American  government ;  what  we  objected 
to  was  the  principle.  If  the  Danish  government  chose  to  put 
the  same  tax  every  year  on  our  merchantmen,  as  compensa 
tion  for  her  building  light-houses  and  providing  other  securi 
ties  on  the  coast,  I  was  certain,  though  it  might  be  considered 
exorbitant,  the  United  States  would  never  think  it  a  fit  sub 
ject  for  a  national  protest.  But  we  were  determined  never 
to  submit  to  anything  like  an  arbitrary  restriction  on  the 
liberty  of  the  seas.  We  were  the  first  to  object  to  the 
traditional  tribute  to  the  Barbary  powers,  and  had  gone  to 
war  on  the  question.  We  had  resisted,  in  a  similar  way, 
the  asserted  English  "right  of  search  ;"  and  we  intended  to 
do  so  to  the  end,  and  for  my  part,  I  believed  it  was  to  be 
one  of  the  good  services  of  the  American  people  to  the 
world,  that  they  would  break  up  the  ancient  traditional 
exactions  and  injustices  which  had  cramped  the  free  inter 
course  of  nations. 

In  my  experience  thus  far  of  the  Danes,  they  impress  me 
as  very  different  from  the  other  Norse-peoples.  There  is  a 
more  polished  fineness  and  grace  among  them,  more  wit  and 
humor  and  sparkle  ;  but  they  seem  by  no  means  to  have  the 
coarse  power  and  independence  of  the  Norwegians,  or  the  half- 
chivalric  courage  and  ardor  of  the  Swedes.  There  appears 


4:80  THE   NOR S.E -FOLK. 

something  more  petty  and  weak  and  dependent  in  them  ; 
the  natural  effect,  probably,  of  a  small  State,  pressed  and 
overborne  by  neighboring  great  powers.  Gossip  seemed  to 
be  more  prevalent  in  Copenhagen  than  in  the  northern  cities 
of  their  brethren,  and  small  interests  more  to  occupy  the 
public  mind. 

Among  the  most  characteristic  institutions  of  the  coun 
try,  are  the  Courts  of  Conciliation  and  the  Cloisters  for  noble 
ladies. 

These  admirable  Courts  of  Compromise,  whose  consti 
tution  I  have  already  described,  were  established  first  by 
the  Danish  government,  in  1155,  in  the  West  Indies,  and 
afterwards  in  1795,  in  Denmark  itself.  They  have  proved 
thoroughly  successful  here.  In  1843,  the  number  of  cases 
brought  before  these  courts  was  31,338,  of  which  21,512 
were  settled,  299  postponed,  and  9,527  referred  to  courts 
of  law,  where  only  2,817  were  prosecuted. 

The  fact  that  they  have  been  established,  and  so  often 
employed,  reflects  honor  on  both  the  nation  and  its  govern 
ment. 

THE    DANISH    CLOISTERS. 

These  extraordinary  institutions,  the  relics  of  medieval 
times,  are  designed  alone  for  the  ladies  of  the  nobility. 
They  are  not  merely  interesting  historically,  but  they  con 
tain  in  their  management  a  new  commercial  assurance  prin 
ciple,  which,  it  is  remarkable,  has  not  yet  been  applied  in 
England  or  America. 

The  cloisters  were  formerly  Catholic  convents  with  large 


CLOISTERS.  481 

properties,  which,  after  the  Reformation,  in  place  of  being 
appropriated  to  purposes  of  education,  or  confiscated  to 
the  Crown,  as  was  done  in  so  many  European  countries, 
were  made  the  bases  of  what  may  be  called  "  Maiden 
Assurance  Companies  "  for  the  families  of  the  nobles.  That 
is,  a  Danish  gentleman,  at  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  for 
instance,  deposits  $2,000  in  the  funds  of  one  of  these 
cloisters,  and  registers  his  daughter's  name  as  a  member. 
She  is  to  receive  four  per  cent,  interest,  or  eighty  dollars 
per  annum,  till  she  is  married,  or  till  she  dies  ;  in  either 
of  these  cases,  the  fund  deposited  goes  into  the  general 
fund  of  the  Cloisters. 

If  she  remains  single,  she  enters  with  the  eighteen  names 
above  her,  as  the  places  become  vacant  by  marriage  or 
death,  into  what  is  called  the  "third  class,"  where  she 
receives  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  annum,  and  rooms 
and  appointments  free  in  the  cloisters  ;  still  later,  with 
nineteen  others,  when  the  places  become  still  further  vacant 
by  marriage  or  death,  she  rises  into  the  "second  class," 
where  the  income  is  five  hundred  dollars,  with  similar 
privileges.  The  highest,  or  "third  class,"  composed  also 
of  twenty  members,  enjoys  one  thousand  dollars  income. 

If  a  young  lady,  who  has  merely  been  receiving  the  inter 
est,  and  has  advanced  to  no  class,  should  be  married  and 
become  a  widow  in  needy  circumstances,  the  sum  of  five 
hundred  dollars  is  allotted  to  her.  If  the  sum  has  not  been 
otherwise  appropriated,  a  dower  of  one  thousand^  dollars 
can  be  given  from  the  surplus  funds  of  the  cloisters,  to  her 
on  her  marriage. 

81 


482  THE    NORSK -FOLK. 

These  cloisters  had  all,  in  the  beginning,  properties  of 
greater  or  less  amount,  but  these  have  been  immensely 
increased  by  this  assurance  system,  which  varies  in  the 
different  institutions.  Taking  any  number  of  young  girls, 
the  probabilities  are  so  much  greater  both  of  their  marrying 
or  dying  than  of  living  single,  that  the  chance  makes  a 
fair  basis  for  an  assurance  company,  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  any  father  would  gladly  risk  that  small  amount  of 
deposit,  if  he  could  insure  his  daughter  against  poverty 
or  dependence,  in  case  she  remained  single  after  his  death  ; 
at  the  same  time,  receiving  for  her  share  a  fair  per  centage, 
previous  to  her  marriage,  if  she  did  marry,  and  possibly 
also  a  dower  amounting  to  half  his  deposit.  One  of  the 
especial  evils  of  modern  society,  is  the  uncertain  dependent 
position  of  single  ladies  in  the  educated  classes.  By  such 
a  society  as  this,  such  persons  would  be  held  in  secure 
and  comfortable  circumstances,  and  would  be  living,  in  fact, 
on  the  assurance  profits  derived  from  those  who,  in  other 
directions,  had  been  more  fortunate  than  they. 

The  members  need  not  live  in  a  building  owned  by  the 
society,  or  make  any  public  announcement  of  membership. 
It  might  be  simply  a  kind  of  life-assurance,  only  designed 
for  women  alone,  and  with  the  addition,  that  the  stock 
holders  who  derived  the  most  benefit,  were  maiden  ladies. 
The  Danish  experiment  by  no  means  proves  that  such  a 
.^ociety  would  be  commercially  profitable  elsewhere.  But 
(in  the  .face  of  it,  it  seems  a  reasonable  scheme  for  any 
civilized  country. 

The  most  prominent  of  these  cloisters  in  Denmark,  are 


.  483 

1,  that  of  Vallo  in  Seland,  founded  by  Queen  Sophia 
Madeline,  in  1731.  The  Abbess  or  Principal  must  be  con 
nected  with  the  Royal  Family,  and  the  Deaconess  must 
be  the  widow  of  some  official  in  the  first  rank  of  nobility. 
The  first  has  $3,500  salary,  the  second  $1,800,  with  resi 
dence  and  appointments  in  the  institution.  It  is  designed 
alone  for  the  families  of  the  nobility  and  the  functionaries 
of  government.  Capital,  besides  forests  and  other  landed 
property,  in  1851,  1,840,000  riks  dollars.  2.  The  Clois 
ter  of  Vemmeltofte,  founded  in  1735.  Capital,  945,600 
riks  dollars.  3.  That  of  Gisselfeld,  in  Seland,  founded  in 
1799.  4.  Roeskilde,  date  1699.  Capital,  234,214  riks 
dollars.  5.  Odense,  1717.  Capital,  78,000  riks  dollars. 
6.  Stovringgaard,  1735  Capital,  167,180  riks  dollars. 

THORWALDSEN'S  MUSEUM. 

The  charm  and  attraction  which,  to  the  lovers  of  art, 
surround  the  Danish  capital,  which  alone  draw  multitudes 
hither,  come  from  one  man's  genius — Thorwaldsen. 

I  find  nothing  in  modern  plastic  art  nearly  so  graceful  or 
so  attractive  as  his  sculpture.  I  have  long  known  the 
oasts  of  Ms  best  works  ;  but  they  give  really  no  fair 
conception  of  his  genius.  The  exquisite  severity  and 
pnrity  of  outline,  the  gentle  shadowing  and  change  of 
sin-face,  expressing  the  most  delicate  sentiments,  and,  as 
it  were,  the  fullness  of  exuberant  life  in  the  marble,  are 
lost  in  the  plaster.  The  cast  is  more  shrunken,  stiff,  and 
oven  harder,  ami,  except  in  the  expression  of  very  strong 


484:  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

action  and  vigor,  does  not  fully  convey  the  ideal.  This  is 
contrary  to  my  own  impression,  which  has  always  been  that 
the  cast  often  left  an  effect  on  the  feeling  as  distinct  and 
pleasing  as  the  original. 

I  wrote  these  words  under  the  fresh  impression  of  his 
works.  They  express  still  their  effect  on  my  own  mind  : 

"  There  are  feelings  in  the  life  of  the  soul  which  are  the 
most  exquisite,  joyous  and  radiant  that  ever  visit  man.  All 
other  joys  are  poor  and  commonplace  by  their  side.  The 
memory  alone  of  them  is  sweeter  than  all  after  pleasures. 
They  belong  to  the  fresh  morning  of  life — to  its  bloom,  and 
hope,  and  cheeriness.  They  are  spirits  who,  with  the  fra 
grance  and  beauty  of  a  happier  sphere,  come  once  to  us  in 
that  early  morning,  and  come  not  again.  It  is  not  given, 
except  to  poets,  to  utter  the  exceeding  joy  which  they  bring 
into  human  life.  All  that  is  most  delicate  and  luxurious 
and  cheerful  in  Nature,  become  their  fitting  expression. 
The  song  of  thrushes  and  nightingales,  the  fragrance  of 
roses  and  apple-blossoms,  the  richness  of  summer  flowers, 
the  sparkle  of  waves,  the  glimmer  of  moonlight,  the  radi 
ances  of  spring-sunshine,  all  the  sweetness  and  gaiety  of  the 
outward  world,  are  their  language.  How  even  the  poor 
and  ignorant  long  to  express  this  overflowing  joy  !  It  comes 
forth  in  music,  in  songs,  in  the  merry  dance.  Words  cannot 
give  it.  It  is  too  subtle  for  language.  The  grace  of  life, 
the  luxury  and  the  unspeakable  deliciousness  of  youth  and 
love,  have  no  verbal  medium  fine  enough  to  convey  them. 

It  seems  to  me  Thorwaldsen,  like  the  Greeks,  has  been 
able  to  utter  these  evanescent  and  most  delicate  sentiments 


SCULPTURE.  485 

The  joyfulness  and  gracefulness  of  youth,  the  exquisite 
pleasures  of  love,  the  gaiety  and  frolic  and  blitheness  of  the 
morning  of  life,  are  his  subjects.  In  his  frolicsome  children, 
and  the  lithe  springing  forms  of  his  youths,  in  the  sweetness 
of  maidens  and  the  luxury  of  womanly  beauty,  in  classic 
scenes,  revived  with  a  feeling  and  naturalness  which  no 
other  modern  has  shown,  we  feel  the  joy  of  life  uttered.  It 
is  the  very  pleasure  of  radiant  love  and  tender  passion.  We 
see  that  here  is  a  touch  which  can  trace  the  most  delicate 
and  beautiful  sentiments  and  never  slur  them. 

The  bloom  and  grace  of  the  first  affection,  the  sweetness 
of  youth,  the  luxury  and  abandon  of  a  happy  heart,  the 
thrill  of  impassioned  love,  are  drawn  and  made  alive  on  the 
cold  marble-slab.  It  is  wonderful  1  That  which  words  are 
too  earthly  to  give  ;  which  comes  up  in  never-to-be-forgotten 
memories,  or  in  insatiable  longings  with  every  fragrant 
breath  of  spring  and  sweet  melody  of  music  ;  which  alone 
once  felt  can  make  henceforth  the  meanest  life  beautiful, 
and  of  which  the  slightest  traces  and  associations  are  more 
delicious  than  all  succeeding  enjoyments — this  the  Northern 
artist  has  been  able  to  utter  in  the  difficult  language  of 
sculpture,  and  to  leave  its  enduring  expression  in  the  hard 
stone  !  Such  a  man  has  given  a  Spring  to  the  world  ;  he  is 
a  poet  of  its  happiness. 

I  think,  as  I  walk  about  the  city  and  see  his  thoughts,  in 
saloons,  in  poor  men's  houses,  in  cellars  and  taverns,  that  in 
future,  long  after  their  petty  princes  and  statesmen  are  for 
gotten,  this  great  heart  will  be  cherished  by  the  people,  and 
perhaps,  in  far  distant  ages,  the  only  thing  which  will  pre- 


486  THE    NOKSE-FOLK. 

serve  the  memory  of  the  Danish  capital,  will  be  that  it  was 
the  home  of  THORWALDSEN." 

The  Museum  of  his  works  is,  on  the  whole,  well  arranged — 
each  important  statue  has  a  little  apartment  for  itself,  the 
light  coming  from  above,  and  the  walls  being  lined  with 
suitable  bas-reliefs.  These  reliefs  are  to  me  among  the 
most  precious  of  his  works,  and  yet  those  of  which  the  casts 
give  the  feeblest  impression.  It  is  very  difficult,  however, 
to  get  a  good  light  for  them  in  private  houses.  They 
demand,  I  think,  a  strong  side-light. 

Certainly,  of  all  the  representations  of  Christ,  either  in 
painting  or  sculpture,  Thorwaldsen's  is  the  most  effective. 
It  is  known  now  through  the  world  That  attitude  of 
benignant  and  merciful  dignity,  of  a  noble  pity  and  con 
descension,  are  made  familiar  in  thousands  of  copies — yet  it 
is  not  satisfactory.  The  original,  however,  is  much  more  so 
than  the  casts.  The  giant  size,  perhaps,  lessens  the  iin- 
presvsion  of  weakness  which  the  traditional  face  of  Christ 
always  leaves  ;  and,  standing  in  its  niche  in  a  church  (the 
Frw  Kirke),  overlooking  the  row  of  apostles  and  the  wor 
shippers,  with  the  strong  lights  and  shadows  from  above  on 
its  features,  one  can  sometimes  realize  faintly  the  ineffable 
grandeur  and  nobleness  of  that  life  of  Suffering  and  Love,  of 
which  this  is  the  feeble  representation. 

It  is  a  remarkable  thing,  and  shows  the  genius  of  Thor- 
waldsen,  that  he  who  has,  above  all  modern  artists,  best 
restored  the  spirit  of  classicism,  could  not  read  a  word  of 
Greek  or  Latin,  and  could  not  write  his  own  language 
correctly  I 


TH  OR  w  A  LD  s  EN'S    PARENTAGE.        487 

An  interesting  life  has  appeared  of  him,  by  Thide,  going 
rather  too  much  into  detail,  but  showing  clearly  the  strug 
gles  and  difficulties  of  the  great  artist.  Poverty,  depend 
ence,  and  disappointment  were  some  of  the  nurturing 
circumstances  which  surrounded  the  growth  of  his  genius. 
He  was  the  son  of  a  maker  of  figure-heads  for  ships,  an 
Icelander,  though  he  himself  was  born  in  Denmark.  While 
he  was  struggling  with  fortune  at  Rome,  and  just  beginning 
to  win  his  first  chaplets,  the  father  died  in  an  almslaouse  in 
Denmark — an  event  for  which  Thorwaldsen,  though  by  no 
means  at  fault,  never  ceased  to  reproach  himself,  and,  most 
of  all,  his  titled  friends,  who  had  promised  to  assist  the 
old  man.  The  first  great  work  which  made  Thorwaldsen 
known  to  the  world,  was  his  Jason,*  which  yet  ranks  as 
among  his  best.  An  English  gentleman  bought  it. 

His  life  shows  many  of  the  peculiarities  of  genius.  He 
was  sometimes  for  a  long  period — even  a  whole  year — under 
the  most  gloomy  fits  of  depression,  and  utterly  unable  to 
labor,  and  then  again  he  would  throw  off  his  most  exquisite 
works  with  incredible  rapidity. 

*  It  is  related  by  Thide  that  a  Danish  lady  of  rank,  who  had 
encouraged  the  young  artist  when  laboring  at  this  statue,  was 
revisiting  his  studio  years  after,  with  a  company  of  friends,  when  he 
had  become  a  great  man,  and,  as  they  passed  a  cast  of  Jason,  she 
'-aid,  patronizingly,  "Thorwaldsen!  that  is  my  child,  you  kno\v!" 
The  artist,  who  remembered  probably  the  years  of  suffering  and  trial 
and  disappointment,  before  this  work  came  forth,  looked  by  no  means 
pleased,  and  said  bluntly,  "  Well,  madam,  you  had  very  few  pains  of 
labor  for  it!" 


488  THE    NORSK-FOLK. 

He  lived  to  win  the  praise  of  all  Europe,  as  the  greatest 
modern  sculptor,  and  to  return  to  his  fatherland,  to  receive 
the  highest  honors  and  most  cordial  welcome  from  his 
countrymen. 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 

THE      SCANDINAVIAN      MYTHOLOGY. 

To  every  student  of  the  religious  beliefs  of  the  world,  the 
mythology  of  the  Scandinavians  must  be  deeply  interesting. 
I  regret  that  I  can  only  treat  it  cursorily. 

The  tendency  of  the  modern  mind,  it  seems  to  me,  on 
subjects  of  this  nature,  is  to  refine  too  much.  A  consistent 
and  profound  philosophy  is  assumed  too  often  as  the  ba,sis 
for  ancient  mythologies,  as  though  every  fancy  and  trick 
and  dream  of  the  religious  imagination  must  have  its  deep 
spiritual  meaning,  and  this  alone  is  to  be  sought  for.  The 
early  men  and  women  were  simple,  child-like,  imaginative 
beings,  who  clothed  a  thousand  fancies  and  childish  beliefs 
in  bodily  forms.  Sometimes  great  natural  laws  were  thus 
embodied  ;  sometimes  profound  moral  truths,  but  they  were 
nearly  all  accidental,  and  the  fruit  of  poetic  instinct  rather 
than  logical  reflection.  Under  all  these  pictures  and  modes 
of  presentation  of  different  nations  are,  of  course,  great 
natural  laws,  showing  the  effect  of  climate,  temperament, 
and  history,  on  the  religious  imagination.  These  are  legiti 
mate  objects  of  study.  All  philosophical  conclusions  be 
yond  these,  seem  to  me  doubtful,  though  still  interesting 
speculations. 

21* 


490  THE    N 

The  mythology  of  the  Northmen,  even  as  their  early  pagan 
customs  and  their  language,  reveals  probably  an  oriental 
origin.  Here,  as  in  the  Persian,  is  a  contest  forever  being 
waged  between  Matter  and  Spirit,  Darkness  and  Light, 
Evil  and  Good,  ending  at  length  in  the  complete  triumph 
of  Love  and  Goodness  over  the  evil  powers. 

In  the  beginning,  were  two  worlds,  the  Fire  World  *  and 
the  Mist  World  ;  f  from  the  one  came  forth  poisonous 
frost  vapors  ;  from  the  other,  life-giving  fire.  The  meeting 
of  these  two  in  the  Abyss  J  brings  forth  the  first  chaotic 
world-mass. §  Of  the  Abyss  the  Edda  says,  "  It  was  Time's 
morning  when  Ymir  lived.  There  was  no  sand,  no  sea, 
no  cooling  billows;  Earth  there  was  none;  no  lofty  Heaven. 
Only  the  Gulph  of  Ginuuga."||  This  matter  produces  of 
itself  the  evil  powers,  the  Frost-giants,  and  Mountain-giants. 
At  the  same  time  arises  an  animal  power,  which  cherishes 
and  refines  the  mass  of  matter,  until  a  high  creative  Divine 
Power  unfolds  itself,  which  creates  in  three  forms,  Spirit, 
Will,  and  Holiness.*^  They  soon  blend  together  in  the 
All-Father,  the  Spirit — ODINN. 

Henceforth,  despite  the  power  of  Spirit,  there  is  a  con 
tinual  struggle  between  the  Beings  of  light — the  JEsir, 
and  the  powers  of  chaos  and  darkness — the  Giants  and 
Dwarfs.  These  latter  dwell  in  the  frozen  North,  in  moun 
tains,  in  desolate  places,  and  send  forth  the  winter,  the 
night,  tempests,  and  diseases.  The  Sun  and  Moon,  which 

*  Muspelheim.  f  Niflheim.  \  Ginunga-gap. 

§  Pennock's  Translation  of  Keyser.  ||  Howitt's  Translation. 

Odinn.— Vili.— Ve. 


MYTHS.  491 

are  the  sparks  of  the  Fire- World,  are  continually  hunted 
by  these  powers — the  Jotun  wolves — and  have  no  rest. 
The  JEsir  protect  the  green  and  living  Earth,  which  they 
visit  on  the  bridge  of  the  rainbow  :  The  Dwarfs — the 
agents  of  evil — they  confine  in  useful  labors  within  the 
mines  and  caverns  of  the  world. 

The  power  which  creates  man,  again  appears  in  a  three 
fold  form — Spirit,  Light,  and  Fire* 

The  Ash-tree,  Yggdrasill,  is  one  of  the  grand  mystical 
figures  of  the  Northern  Mythology.  The  best  students  of 
the  Eddas  suppose  it  to  represent  Universal  Nature.  It 
has  three  roots,  one  from  the  Abyss,  one  from  the  source 
of  the  evil  and  chaotic  powers,  and  one  from  the  homes 
of  the  spirits  of  light.  It  is  represented  as  forever  suffer 
ing.  "  The  Ash  Yggdrasill  endures  more  hardships  than 
than  any  one  knows  ;  The  hart  bites  off  its  branches,  its 
trunk  decays,  and  the  Dragon  of  Death  gnaws  at  its  root." 
Yet  the  tree  is  forever  green  with  the  sprinkling  of  the 
celestial  Fountain.  The  higher  powers  support  and  pre 
serve  the  material  Nature. 

By  this  Fountain  are  three  dread  beings,  who,  in  the 
Northern  Mythology,  as  in  the  Grecian,  lie  back  of  the 
present  order  of  things — beyond  and  above  even  the  spirits 
of  light,  the  JSsir — they  are  the  three  Goddesses  of  Time 
and  Fate,f  the  Past,  the  Present,  and  the  Future]  the 
Nornir,  the  allotters  of  Birth  and  of  Death.  All  Nature, 
the  decrees  of  the  ^Esir,  the  lives  of  men,  the  existence 

*  Odinn, — Haenir, — Lodurr, — Pennock. 
f  Urdier,  Verdandi  and  Skuld. 


492  THE    NORSE-FOLK. 

of  the  Gods,  are  under  their  control.  The  whole  cosmogony 
is  of  Time,  and  perishes  with  it. 

Of  the  particular  personalities  of  the  Gods  in  this  My 
thology,  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  speak.  They  seem  often 
the  embodiment  alone  of  the  powers  of  Nature  :  and  some 
times  of  its  abstract  qualities,  and  their  history  is  a  con 
tinuation  of  the  dire  struggle  between  the  powers  of  good 
and  of  evil,  the  representation  of  which  runs  through  the 
whole  mythology.  The  Heaven  of  the  Northmen  is  one 
of  the  most  sensual  pictures  of  the  celestial  abodes  which 
mythology  has  given  us,  and  at  the  same  time,  most  char 
acteristic  of  the  race.  The  hero  who  had  fallen  in  battle, 
was  taken  by  the  invisible  maidens  to  the  halls  of  Valhalla. 
If  he  had  died  in  his  bed  of  sickness  or  of  old  age,  there 
was  no  entrance  for  him  to  those  abodes.  There,  in  the 
splendid  banqueting  rooms,  he  found  the  warriors  and  sea- 
kings  and  heroes  of  his  country  assembled,  feasting  on  boiled 
pork  and  mead  and  wine,  served  by  beautiful  maidens. 
Each  day,  the  company  goes  forth  to  fight  each  other,  and 
after  the  glowing  excitement  of  the  combat  (than  which 
the  Northman  knew  no  more  heavenly  emotion),  the 
ghastly  wounds  are  instantaneously  cured,  the  hewn  limbs 
restored,  the  hacked  armor  rebrightened,  and  the  brave 
heroes  return  for  the  other  enjoyment  of  their  Heaven — 
wassail  and  wine. 

This  was  the  popular  belief.  But  behind  all  this,  the 
Eddas  draw  a  picture  which  redeems  the  Northern  supersti 
tion  from  its  sensuality,  and  places  the  Scandinavian  mytho 
logy  among  the  most  robust,  if  not  the  most  moral  of  human 


THE    FINAL    STRUGGLE.  493 

mythologies.  We  have  seen,  in  the  theory  of  creation  and 
the  history  of  the  gods,  the  solemn,  dark  conception  of  a 
mighty  struggle  going  on  between  the  Powers  of  Good  and 
of  Evil.  Through  it  all  runs  also  a  warning  of  a  final 
mighty  contest  between  these  powers,  which  is  to  end  in 
fearful  destruction — the  age  so  poetically  known  in  the 
Eddas  as  the  "Twilight  of  the  Gods." 

The  human  mind  usually  cannot  bear  to  imagine  the 
annihilation  of  itself.  It  holds  on  to  the  present  order  of 
things.  Its  heaven,  its  gods,  itself,  will  at  least  survive  the 
final  wreck  of  matter.  Not  so  with  the  vigorous  and  really 
moral  imagination  of  the  Scandinavian  Northman.  In  his 
faith,  there  was  to  come  a  fearful  destruction  and  conflagra 
tion  of  heaven  and  earth,  of  men  and  gods,  of  the  world 
below  and  Valhalla  above — a  day  of  awful  wrath,  whose 
description  vies  in  terror  with  the  fearful  pictures  in  the 
vision  of  the  Apostle  of  the  final  judgment. 

The  growing  wickedness  of  earth  shows  its  approach. 
The  Yoluspa  says  of  the  seeress  : 


1  There  saw  she  wade 
In  the  heavy  streams, 
Men — foul  perjurers, 
And  murderers, 
And  they  who  others'  wives 
Seduce  to  sin. 

'  Brothers  slay  brothers ; 
Sisters'  children 
Shed  each  other's  blood. 
Hard  is  the  world : 
Sensual  sin  grows  huge. 


494:  TH  E    K  o  it  s  K  -  Y  o  L  K  . 

There  are  sword-ages,  axe-ages, 
Earth-cleaving  cold ; 
Storm-ages,  murder-ages, 
Till  the  world  falls  dead, 
And  men  no  longer  spare 
Or  pity  one  another."* 

It  is  a  time  of  snows  and  winter,  and  tempest  and  dark 
ness.  The  sun  and  moon  are  swallowed  up,  and  heaven  is 
sprinkled  with  blood.  The  bright  stars  vanish,  the  earth 
trembles,  and  the  mountains  are  shaken  from  their  base. 
But  these  sons  of  the  North,  even  in  the  last  convulsions  of 
matter,  are  not  those  who  call  upon  the  mountains  to  cover 
them.  They  die  in  armor.  In  the  fearful  chaos  and  destruc 
tion,  each  god  and  spirit  buckles  on  his  armor,  and  hastens 
on  to  the  great  battle-field — the  vast  plains  of  Yigrid.  The 
giant  powers  of  evil  are  abroad.  The  Wolf,  which  fills  the 
space  between  earth  and  heaven  with  its  jaws,  comes  forth. 
The  mighty  Serpent,  who  had  supported  the  world,  rocks 
the  ocean  in  his  writhings,  and  blows  out  venom  over  air 
and  sea.  Over  the  lurid  ocean  sails  the  ship  made  of  dead 
men's  nails,  carrying  the  weird  Frost  Giants.  In  the  final 
battle,  all  the  great  powers  of  evil,  and  the  historical  gods, 
are  destroyed,  and  the  earth  is  burned  up.  Of  Valhalla,  we 
hear  no  more. 

A  new  earth  comes  forth,  eternally  green  and  fair.  Bal- 
dur,  the  god  of  purity  and  love,  survives,  and  with  him  a 
few  of  the  purer  gods.  A  new  race  of  men  is  born.  Al] 
evil  ceases,  and  sorrow  and  trouble  come  no  more. 

*  Hewitt's  Translation. 


THE    DAY    OF    DOOM.  495 

"  In  Gimle,  the  lofty, 
There  shall  the  hosts 
Of  the  virtuous  dwell, 
And  through  all  ages 
Taste  of  deep  gladness." 

The  close,  so  grand  arid  so  mysterious,  pointing  to  the 
vague  idea  which  always  was  behind  the  mythology,  of  an 
unnamable  Spirit,  we  give  in  the  words  of  the  Voluspa, 
the  ancient  poem  of  the  Edda.*f 

"  Then  shall  the  MIGHTY  ONE  come  from  above  :  He  who 
ruleth  over  all  ;  whose  name  man  dares  not  to  utter. 

"  He  cometh  in  his  power  to  the  great  judgment-seat ; 
he  will  appease  all  strife,  and  will  establish  a  holy  peace, 
which  shall  endure  eternally.  But  the  foul  Dragon,  the 
venom-spotted  Nidhoggu  (the  Dragon  of  Death  and  Dark- 

*  Pennock's  Keyser. 

f  Of  him  another  passage  of  the  Edda: 

"  Then  one  is  born 
Higher  than  all ; 
He  becomes  strong 
With  the  strengths  of  earth. 
The  mightiest  King, 
Men  call  him ; 
Fast  knit  in  peace 
With  all  powers. 

"  Then  comes  Another, 
Yet  more  mighty ; 
But  HIM  dare  I  not 
Venture  to  name. 
Few  farther  may  look 
Than  to  where  Odinn 
To  meet  the  wolf  goes." 


496  THE    ISToBSE-FoLK. 

ness),  flees  away  over  the  plains  and  sinks  out  of  sight, 
bearing  death  upon  his  wings." 

So  closes  this  robust  prophecy — the  restoration,  the  super 
intending  Spirit,  not  appearing  so  distinct  and  certain  as  the 
destruction  and  ruin.  Here  again  the  tone  is  vigorous  and 
moral  -to  the  last  ;  the  instincts  of  the  bards  seeing  clearly 
the  wickedness  and  the  sensuality,  but  not  discerning  so 
clearly  the  redemption  of  nature.  The  Eddas  prepared  not 
unnaturally  for  the  Evangelists. 


APPENDIX. 


I.  — STATISTICS    OF    NORWAY. 
(From  Mr.  Sundfs  Notes.) 


Province. 

Number  of  Preachers. 

Population  to  every  Preacher. 

Year 

1815 

164 
64 
68 
62 
47 

1855 

163 
74 
69 
67 
51 

1815 

22C3 
2288 

2348 
2260 
1627 

1845 

3376 
2978 
3-248 
3  8(t 
2166 

1855 

Chrisfiania  

Christiansand  
Bergen 

Tromsoe  
Total 

40T 

429 

2190 

8097 

(3473) 

Year. 

Marriages. 

Legitimate 
Children. 

Illegitimate 
Children. 

Percentage  of  !  Percentage  of 
Illegit.  B  rth8ll]«.Si  .Birihsto 
to  Legitimate.!      Marriages. 

1801-5 

33,917 

118,496 

7,452 

6.3 

21.9 

1806-10 

31,389 

115,905 

8,072 

7.0 

25.7 

1811-15 

37.129 

116,369 

8,3d8 

7.1 

22.4 

1816-20 

41,5S3 

142,371 

12,136 

8.5 

29.2 

1821-25 

44,OS1 

157.9S4 

12,670 

8.0 

28.7 

1826-30 

42,558 

167,284 

12,614 

7.5 

296 

1831-35 

42,233 

1  69.2r>2 

12,111 

7.2 

28.7 

133rt-40 

40,681 

159,606 

12.017 

7.5 

29.5 

1S41-45 

50,590 

179,670 

15,731 

8.8 

81.1 

1846-50 

52,506 

193,408 

17,479 

9.0 

38.8 

1851-55 

56,499 

213,004 

21,590 

10.1 

i 

497 


498 


APPENDIX. 


POPULATION    IN   NORWAY.                TO  EVERY  10,000  PERSONS  BET.  20  AND  30  YEARS. 

IVtwp.-Ti   'JO  and  SO  years  of  aei-.                                Yo:irs. 

M-i  se,  1  sT;ft^H: 

Year,  IS'H  13<>,959     !       1801—1810 
"       1815                 16  >,09<>           1811  —  182.  • 

477                113 
492                 T2^ 
494                  144 
481                 14n 
431         |         139 

'.'.'.'.'..'. 

"      1825   175,482           1821—1830 
"       1835  172,34S           1831—1841. 
'•       1845  239,266      |     1>41  —  1850 

COMPARISON    OF   PUBLIC    AND    PRIVATE 

STATISTICS. 

Report  of  Percentage  of  Illegitimate  Births  to  Marriages,  1851-'2. 

District. 

Official 

Report.         Private   Uoiiort. 

Group  1  —  District  around  Christiania,  
"      2.—  Upper  Komerike,  Osterdal,  Hede- 
niark,  and  Gudbrandsdal  
"       8.—  VaMers,  lladeland,  Kr  ngsbersr,.  .  . 
"      4.  —  Draintnen,       Jarlsberg,      Lauvik, 
Lower  Theleinark,  

"      5.  —  Upper  Theleinark  and  District  near 
Christiansanrt,  
u      (j,  —  Maudal,  Lister,  and  Dalecarlia,... 
«      7.  —  Stavanger  and  region  near  by,..  . 

39.4  per  ct.          37.4  per  ct. 
|   66.3       "               65.3       « 
36.0       "              33.5      " 
j-  25.7      "              25.4      » 

42.2      "              39.7      " 
j-  16.3      "              14.1       «« 

11.6       »              11.4      " 
20.2      "              17.4      " 

I 

Report  of  Proportion  of  Illegal  Connections*  Producing  Children^ 
to  Legal  Marriages,  1851-'52. 

Districts. 

MALES. 

CluHl.            Class  2. 
Freeholders.1     Laborers. 

FKM. 

Class  1. 
Freeholders. 

LES. 

Claw  2. 
Laborers. 

21                45 
26                85 
19                42 
12                32 

10                17 
6                20 
11                23 

I 

9 
12 

12 

4 

\ 

52 
92  (!) 
46 
85 

21 
23 

28 

"        8                                           .... 

«       4,               

"       5 

"      6,..       

"      7,  

*  This  is,  more  strictly,  Mrths — but  the  proportion  is  made  in  order  to  show  the 
relation  of  illegal  to  legal  connections. 


APPENDIX. 


499 


The  Schools  and  Morals. 

Districts. 

Number  of  School-Chil 
dren*  foreacli  Teacher 
in  the  County  School. 

Proportion  of  Chil 
dren  from  7  to  16 
who  huve  entire 
ly  neglected   the 
School.    Aveiage 
both  years. 

Proportion  to  miir- 
riHges  of  IlleRi- 
tiniHte  Births.  - 
City  and  county. 

Year,   
Groupt  1 

1887      |      1840 

95               89 
109             103 
93               91 
79               80 

61              59 
65               63 

77              77 

1837—1840 

5.5 
9.5 

7.8 
6.3 

5.4 
1.8 
3.6 

89.4 
66.3 
36.0 
25.7 

163 
11.6 

20.2 

44       2,  

tt       K 
"       61 

"       7,.. 

Percentage  of  Illegal  Connections 
to  Marriages. 


Men. 
45 

Women. 
52 

85  

92 

42       

46 

82 

.  85 

Christiansand 
17 

Province. 
21 

20 

23 

23... 

..  28 

i  for  Schools  (except  board 
of  ti-a<ihers)  to  each  person  in 
Christiania  Province. 

BkiWngi. 

Group  1, 7.4 

"      2, 7.1 

"      3, 7.5 

"      4, 9.2 

Christiansand  Province. 
Group  5,...  ...10.2 

44      6,...  ..7.0 

"      7, 5.6 


It  will  be  observed  in  these  statistics  that  Norway,  in  respect  of 
sexual  morality,  has  been  steadily  retrograding,  since  the  beginning 
of  this  century.  In  the  four  .years  preceding  1855,  every  tenth  child 
born  in  the  whole  country  was  illegitimate !  and  in  the  four  years 
preceding  1850,  the  number  of  unlawful  connections  between  the 
sexes  amounted  to  one  third  of  the  whole  number  of  marriages. 

It  will  also  be  observed  in  the  succeeding  statistics  that  the  immor 
ality  keeps  very  even  pace  with  the  want  of  religious  opportunities, 
and  that  the  most  vice  prevails  where  are  the  fewest  preachers  to  the 
population.  The  singular  custom  of  the  Fria  is  observed  in  many 
districts  of  Norway ;  and  I  am  informed  by  the  statistician,  Mr. 
SUNDT,  from  whom  these  facts  are  obtained,  that  the  proportion  of 
unlawful  births  is  in  almost  precise  relation  to  the  extent  of  this  cus 
tom,  as  is  certainly  to  be  expected. 


*  The  most  of  these  children  do  not  attend  school  over  eight  weeks  in  the  year. 
t  The  names  in  the  Groups  have  already  been  given. 


500  APPENDIX. 

It  is  also  to  be  noted,  that  whore  the  least  money  is  expended  for 
schools,  in  proportion  to  the  population,  there  is  the  lowest  state  of 
sexual  morality. 

In  the  counties  of  Upper  Romerike,  Osterdal,  Hedemark,  and  Gud- 
brandsdal,  the  number  of  school-children  to  each  teacher'  in  1840, 
was  103  ;  the  proportion  of  non-attendants  on  schools  was  more  than 
nine  per  cent  The  expenses  of  schools  in  these  districts  are  about 
seven  cents  for  each  person.  The  population  in  the  whole  province 
to  each  preacher  is  larger  than  in  any  other  province. 

In  the  same  counties,  to  every  100  marriages  there  are  92  illegal 
liaisons,  bearing  children,  among  the  women,  and  85  among  the  men 
of  the  laboring  class.  Among  the  freeholders,  the  proportion  with 
the  men  is  only  26  per  cent.,  and  with  the  women  12  per  cent. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  any  district  in  Europe  will  show  among  the 
laboring  class  an  equal  immorality. 

The  two  great  causes,  which  can  be  reached  by  effort,  we  believe  to 
be  the  want  of  thorough  popular  education,  and  the  formalism  of 
Church,  which  has  lost  its  practical  hold  of  the  morals  of  the 
peasants. 

II.— POPULATION  AND  FURTHER  STATISTICS  OF  NORWAY. 

IN  the  year  1845,  the  population  amounted  to  1,328,471 ;  to  this 
must  be  added  1,145,  who  ramble  about  without  having  a  fixed  abode 
in  any  place,  so  that  the  whole  population  amounts  to  1,329,616. 
The  whole  kingdom  has  5,752  (Norsk)  square  miles,  consequently 
about  220  to  each  square  mile.  In  Norrland  there  are  only  about  81, 
and  Finnmark  only  33  to  each  square  mile. 

The  first  register  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  was  made 
in  1769,  and  then  the  population  was  only  723,141  in  the  whole 
kingdom. 

ARMY. 

A  standing  army  was  formed  first  in  the  year  1628,  consisting  of 
6,243  soldiers.  The  Norwegian  army  now  amounts  to  23,484  soldiers. 
The  artillery  makes  up  one-tenth  of  the  whole  army,  and  the  horse 
men  one-twelfth.  The  fortresses  of  the  kindgdom  are  13,  besides 
some  few  sconces.  The  expenses  were,  in  the  year  1848,  747,000 
dollars. 


APPENDIX.  501 


THE    FLEET. 

Frigates, 8 

Corvettes, 5 

Brigs, 1 

Schooners, 5 

Small  Steamers, 6 

Gun-Boats, 123 

All  seafaring  Norwegians,  from  sixteen  to  thirty  years  of  age,  and, 
with  certain  exceptions,  all  men  in  maritime  districts,  are  bound  to 
serve  live  years  on  national  vessels,  if  called  upon.  The  number  thus 
bound  at  the  present  time  is  47,000. 

Budget  for  1851 — $4o7,464.  The  system  is  very  enlightened  and 
progressive.  One  proof  is  the  readiness  with  which  Mr.  Maury's  pro 
position  for  the  keeping  accurate  logs  of  winds,  currents,  etc.,  on  the 
high  seas  was  accepted  ;  and  his  invitation  to  a  Meteorological  Con 
ference  at  once  complied  with. 

INCOME    OF    THE    KINGDOM. 

In  1848,  4,696,600  specie  dollars  ;  for  this  they  are  chiefly  indebted 
to  the  great  revenues  of  Kongsberg's  silver-works. 

EXPENSES. 

In  1848,  2,523,700  sp.,  of  which  105,050  sp.  are  paid  annually  to 
the  Royal  Family  in  Sweden,  and  to  the  maintenance  of  the  Royal 
Palace  in  Christiania.  The  surplus  in  the  public  treasury,  at  the  close 
of  1847,  was  2,172,900  sp. 

EXPORTS. 

In  respect  to  exports,  the  city  of  Bergen  surpasses  the  other  Nor 
wegian  cities,  its  export  being  estimated  at  about  1,700,000  sp., 
yearly ;  Dramraen's  650,000  sp.  ;  Trondhjem's  not  fully  500,000  sp. ; 
and  Christiania's  only  350,000  sp.  Next  to  those  cities  come  Sarpsborg, 
Christiansand,  and  Tromsoe.  The  articles  of  export  are  principally 
fishes,  pickled  herrings,  train-oil,  iron,  copper,  iron  in  bars,  timber, 
anchovies,  and  window-glass. 

IMPORTS. 

Tn  the  year  1844,  the  import  of  provisions,  of  corn  to  Christiania 
was  195,000 tons  ;  to  Dranimen,  115,000  tons;  to  Christiansand,  50,000 


502  APPENDIX. 

tons;  to  Stavanger,  79,000;  and  to  Trondhjem,  88,000  tons.  The 
articles  of  import  are  :  corn,  coffee,  sugar,  brandy,  wine,  tobacco,  salt, 
butter,  hemp,  sole-leather,  sail-cloth,  cotton,  etc. 


The  most  important  branch  of  mining  is  the  production  of  iron, 
Norway  having  nineteen  iron-works;  and  the  whole  production  for 
the  years  1841-'4o  was:  iron  in  bars,  24,753  skippund.  Next  are  the 
copper-works,  of  which  there  are  nine.  The  production  for  the  years 
1841— '45  was  3,894  sk.,  yearly.  The  most  important  copper-works 
are:  Roraas,  opened  1644,  and  Alien,  opened  1826.  Kongsberg's 
silver  mine  is  an  important  work.  It  was  discovered  in  1023.  For  a 
very  long  series  of  years,  there  was  only  loss  in  working  it ;  but  since 
1832,  it  has  been  very  profitable,  giving,  in  the  year  1846,  16,079| 
marks  of  massive  and  solid  silver.  About  one  million  species  is  the 
annual  income  of  the  Norwegian  mines. 

MANUFACTURES. 

For  want  of  native  manufactories,  Norway  imports  manufactures. 
In  the  year  1846,  there  were  imported  of  cotton,  888,638  pounds  ;  of 
stuffs  of  cotton,  826,414  pounds  ;  of  silk  wares,  12,560  pounds.  The 
glass-making  is  nearly  a  failure ;  only  three  glass-works  are  now  in 
operation.  Of  paper-mills  there  are  only  seven,  so  that  paper  must 
be  imported  ;  soap-houses  are  increasing,  and  the  making  of  salt  is 
considerable — Vallo  salt  mine  alone  produces,  yearly,  25,000  tons  of 
salt.  Of  sugar  refineries,  the  whole  kingdom  has  only  one  in 
Trondhjem. 

AGRICULTURE. 

Every  farm  has  an  average  of  5^  acres  of  land,  and  the  number  of 
farms  is  about  112,930. 


In  1845,  1,123  persons  were  infected  with  leprosy,  mostly  on  the 
western  coast,  from  Stavanger  to  Finnmarken.  Lazarettos  in  Bergen, 
and  one  in  Molde,  have  been  erected. 


APPENDIX. 


503 


III. — An  Abstract  of  the  Report  in  regard  to  the  working  of  the 
Copper  Jfiiie  at  Alt  en,  in  the  five  years  front  1850  to  1855,  inclu 
sively. 

A    TABULAR  SURVEY   OP   EXPENSES  AND  PRODUCTION. 


Disbursements. 

Production. 

YEARS. 

SALARIES. 

MATERIALS. 

TOTAL   AM 

Species. 

OUST. 

ORB. 

COPPER. 

:     Species. 

Skip'd 

Species.    Skip'd 

Skip'd 

Pounds. 

Pound*. 

!    1*51 
1     1852 
1     1853 
1     1854 
1855 

Total 

32.1  30 
82,345 
33.743 
38.302 
36,9u2 

173,325 

7u 
23 
US 
104 

87 

U.43«)        49 

1-2.480        12 
14,472        32 
16,544      101 
20,850      108 

78,773        62 

46,460 
44,825 

48,216 
54.847 
57,753 

252,103 

119 
35 

30 
85 
75 

4,3<  i7,724 
5,107.168 
5,188,128 
5,422,560 
4,370,320 

253  .5i  2 

243.238 
276,030 

285,889 
231,974 

42 

1U4  j  24,393,600 

1,292,915 

A  Norwegian  species  (sp.)  is  about  the  same  as  an  American  dollar. 
The  Norwegian  or  Danish  weight  called  a  skippund  (skd.)  amounts  to 
352  pounds. 

The  works  consist  of  twelve  larger  or  less  mines  and  a  few  pits, 
driven  at  indeterminate  times.  No  new  discovery  of  any  importance 
has  been  made  in  the  last  five  years. 

In  the  year  1855,  the  copper  works  supported  the  following 
population  : 

WORKMEN  IN  THE  MINES  AND  FOUNDRY  (FURNACE): — Men,  218; 
Women,  145 ;  Children,  124 ;  Administrator,  1  ;  Bookkeepers,  2  ; 
Physician,  1  ;  Victuallers  and  assistants,  3;  Controller  of  the  foundry, 
1  ;  People  for  ascending  and  descending,  6  ;  Keeper  of  storehouses,  1  ; 
Teachers,  3 ;  Blacksmiths,  8  ;  Bricklayers,  2  ;  Carpenters,  2  ;  Baker 
and  Brewer,  1  ;  Shoemakers,  4 ;  Tailors,  2  ;  Sailors,  3  ;  Grooms  and 
Drivers,  14;  Persons  settled  at  the  work  and  by  it  nourished,  but  not 
in  certain  employment,  47  ;  Children  not  capable  of  working,  266  ; 
OM  and  sickly  persons,  5. 

Of  the  above-named,  there  were  in  the  year  1855,  439  Quane.>, 
•^73  Norwegians,  94  Swedes,  25  Englishmen,  17  Finns  (Laplanders), 
n  Russians,  and  1  German,  adults  and  children  inclusive. 

IV.— TERRACED    BEACHES.— See  p.  90. 
IT  is  an  interesting  fact,  in  connection  with  the  ancient  terraced 


504  APPENDIX. 

beaches  on  the  coast  of  Norway,  that  Dr.  Kane  discovered  similar 
traces  of  a  secular  elevation  of  the  American  continent,  as  far  North 
as  81C. 

He  supposes  the  elevation  to  have  commenced  at  some  point  north 
of  76°.  In  one  place,  the  elevation  reached  the  height  of  480  feet. 

He  speaks  also  of  a  depression  of  Southern  Greenland,  correspond 
ing  to  the  depression  of  Southern  Scandinavia. 

V.— RESUME    OF   STATISTICS   OF   SWEDEN. 

Population  in  Sweden,  1854, 3,606,987 

Males, 1,750,136 

Females, 1,850,851 

Population  in  Stockholm, 95,950 

Number  of  Prisons  in  Sweden,  53  ;  including  17  Cell-prisons,  con 
taining  1,257  light,  and  62  dark  cells. 

Number  of  prisoners  in  Sweden, 15,472 

Males, 12,141 

Females, 3,331 

Number  of  prisoners  in  Stockholm. 4,857 

Receipts  for  prisons  and  prisoners,  1854,  1,115,641  Rdr.,  inclusive 
of  882,890  Rdr.  appropriated  by  the  Diet.  Expenses  for  same, 
during  1854,  1,113,068  Rdr. 


Children  born  in  Sweden,  1850, 110,399 

Males, ...      56,590 

Females, 53,809 

Children,  dead, 68,514 

Males, 35,595 

Females, 32,919 

Increase  of  born  over  dead  children, 41,885 

Males, 20,995 

Females, 20,890 

Children  born  in  Stockholm,  1850,  3,190;  including  1,424  illegiti 
mate  children  Children  born  in  other  cities,  1850,  7,805;  including 
1,538  illegitimate.  Children  born  in  the  country,  99,404;  including 
7,358  illegitimate. 


APPENDIX.  505 

Proportion  of  illegitimate  to  legitimate  children:   at  Stockholm, 
1  to  2.25 ;  in  the  other  cities,  1  to  5.03  ;  in  the  country,  1  to  1,434. 
Stillborn  children  in  1850,  3,652. 


Value  of  Imports  from  the  United  States,  1854,. . .   3,250,000  Rdr. 

Tobacco, 1,120,137  " 

Rice, 23,143  " 

Sugar, 432,515  " 

Cotton, 7,960,731  " 

Value  of  Exports,  during  same  year,  to  the  United  States : 

Iron, 107,576  " 

Steel, , 3,609  " 


Vessels  arrived  to  Sweden  from  other  countries,  10,648  of  418,615 
tons.  Vessels  cleared  from  Sweden  for  other  countries,  10,574  of 
422,168  tons. 

Custom-House — duties  paid  during  1854: 

Imported  Goods.    Exported.  Total  Rdr. 

At  Stockholm, 2,086,466         31,805  2,118,271 

At  Gefle, 73,577           6,035  79,612 

At  Gothenbourgh, 2,321,066         23,400  2,344,466 

At  Norrkoping, 294,029           5,743  299,772 

Cotton  Spinning  Factories,  1854  :  14  consuming  8,204,270  Ibs.  cot 
ton,  producing  to  the  value  of  4,188,664  Rdr. 

Clothing  Manufactories  109,  producing  goods  to  the  value  of 
4,986,454  Rdr. 

Silk  Manufactories  13,  making  goods  to  the  value  of  911,770  Rdr. 

Xorrkoping  has  86  clothing1  factories,  producing,  in  1854,  goods  to 
the  value  of  4,053,117  Rdr. 

Number  of  pupils  in  the  common  schools,  Stockholm, 

1854, 16,101 

Boys, 7,913 

Girls, 8188 

Number  of  Teachers,  34 ^amount  of  their  salaries,  11,261  Rdr. 
The  income  of  these  schools  was,  during  that  year,  24,298  Rdr.,  and 
their  expenses,  16,353  Rdr. 

22 


506  APPENDIX. 


71.— STATISTICS  OF   CHARITY  OF  STOCKHOLM. 

Houses  for  receiving  poor  children  and  institutes  of  education  are 
eight.  The  largest  of  these  houses  contained,  in  the  year  1853,  741 
children  ;  and  the  number  adopted  from  such  houses  Avas,  in  January, 
1854,  2,629.  The  expenses  were,  in  1853,  about  $23,850. 

The  Free  Mason's  house  for  receiving  children  assisted  in  educating 
292  children.  Their  expenses  are  about  $4,780.  Marbeekska  Insti 
tution  for  the  education  of  poor  girls,  contained  26.  The  expenses, 
4,102  Rix.  This  Institution  has,  within  the  last  few  years,  been 
enlarged,  so  that  it  can  contain  double  the  number  of  children. 

The  youngest  of  those  institutions  is  the  Kronprincess  Louisa 
for  sick  children.  A  home,  a  school,  and  also  a  hospital,  are 
united  with  that  Institution.  The  school  was  opened  with  titty-eight 
pupils.  In  the  home  for  children,  were  received  during  the  last 
year,  twelve  girls.  The  Institution  has  a  lady  superintendent,  and 
the  committee  consists  of  three  gentlemen  and  two  ladies.  Their 
income,  from  the  31st  of  October,  1851,  was  51,313  Rdr.  banko, 
besides  the  500  Rdr.  banko  which  the  King  gave.  That  sum  of  51,313 
banko  was  obtained  partly  in  gifts,  and  partly  in  yearly  subscriptions. 
Their  expenses,  in  order  to  get  the  Institution  in  perfect  order, 
amounted  to  44,330  Riks.  There  is  also  another  branch  attached  to 
this  Institution — a  creche  for  poor  women. 

The  income  of  the  city  of  Stockholm  amounted,  in  the  year  1860, 
to  356,440  Riks  dollars,  and  the  expenses  were  423,905  Rix. 

CRIMINAL  STATISTICS. 

Offences  of  all  Kinds.  Persons  found  Guilty. 

39,105  in  1845 33,026  in  1845 

88,814  "  1846 32,401  "  1846 

38,444  "  1847 31,092  "  1847 

36,607  "  1848 30,121  "  1848 

34,600  "  1849 ..28,743  "  1849 

PROF.  A.  C.  KNOS. 

Taking  the  whole  population  at  3,316,536  persons  for  1845,  the 
number  of  the  guilty,  in  1845,  is  1  to  92  ;  1846,  1  to  102;  1847,  1  to 
106;  1848,  1  to  110;  1849,  1  to  115, 

In  these  cases,  however,  are  reckoned  all  offences  against  the  most, 


APPENDIX.  507 

minute  police  laws.  It  is  claimed  by  intelligent  Swedes  that  Laing^  in 
his  severe  strictures  on  Swedish  immorality,  based  on  the  public 
statistical  tables,  has  committed  the  error  of  confusing  many^of  these 
arbitrary  police  oSences  with  real  offences  against  virtue. 


VII. 

English  view  of  King  Oscar's  speech  befoce  the  Diet  of  1856-57  : 
"  A  Swedish  Board  of  Works  is  to  be  established — the  King  has 
declared ;  and  forthwith,  a  plan  is  to  be  submitted  to  the  Houses  for 
the  construction  of  grand  trunk  railways,  to  draw  the  opposite  ports 
of  the  United  Kingdom  together.  Nor  does  the  government  limit  its 
present  promises  to  the  construction  of  railways.  The  establishment 
of  railways  is  to  inaugurate,  to  use  the  King's  words,  '  a  law  still 
more  closely  in  harmony  than  the  last  with  the  wise  principle  of 
Free  Trade.'  And,  then,  would  a  people  enjoying  the  use  of  rail 
ways,  free  to  trade,  under  liberal  enactments — would  a  people  so  cir 
cumstanced  remain  content  to  live  in  a  state  of  religious  slavery  ? 
The  question  has  been  wisely  answered  by  the  Swedish  Government. 
To  that  persecution  of  Catholics  which  has  so  long  disgraced  Sweden, 
is  to  succeed  '  an  enlightened  tolerance  for  the  creed  of  others,  based 
upon  neighborly  love.'  '  It  is  right,'  exclaims  King  Oscar,  '  that 
the  people,  whose  great  monarch  Gustavus  Adolphus  fought  for  free 
dom  of  thought  and  conscience,  and  which  freedom  he  sealed  with 
his  blood — it  is  right  that  such  a  people  should  follow  his  example.' 
These  are  sentiments  that  do  honor  to  Bernadotte's  son. 

A  long  time  has  elapsed  since  a  speech  equally  important  to  that 
of  King  Oscar  has  been  pronounced  from  a  throne.  Railways  are  to  be 
suddenly  thrown  open  ;  a  department  of  public  works  is  to  be  estab 
lished  ;  freedom  is  to  become  the  governing  principle  of  commerce ; 
Catholic  emancipation  is  to  be  declared ;  unmarried  women  are  to 
enjoy  the  rights  of  majority  at  twenty-five  years  of  age  ;  a  statistical 
department  is  to  be  organized  ;  and  all  during  one  session  !  If  Swe 
den  has  held  back  somewhat  doggedly  from  the  general  progress  of 
Western  Europe — it  must  be  confessed,  that  our  new  allies  appear 
determined  to  make  up,  by  vigorous  action  in  the  present,  for  the 
years  they  have  lost." — (Sat.  Review.} 


508  APPENDIX. 

VIII.— CONSTITUTION  OF  SWEDEN. 
From  a  French  translation  prepared  for  the  use  of  Bernadotte. 

SECTION  1. 

The  kingdom  of  Sweden  shall  be  ruled  by  a  king ;  it  shall  be  a 
hereditary  monarchy,  according  to  the  order  of  succession  of  the  male 
descendants  of  the  king  deceased,  who.  shall  be  appointed  by  the 
States. 

SECTION  2. 

The  king  shall  always  be  of  the  pure  evangelical  doctrine  as  laid 
down  in  the  confession  of  Augsburgh  and  assumed  by  virtue  of  the 
Decree  of  the  Synod  of  Upsala  of  the  year  1593. 

SECTION  9. 

There  shall  be  kept  a  record  of  all  the  deliberations  that  will  take 
place  before  the  king  in  the  State  Council.  The  actual  members  of 
that  Council  shall  indispensably  express  and  explain  their  opinions, 
and  have  them  recorded ;  they  shall  be  responsible  for  their  advice, 
and  the  final  consequence  of  the  same  will  be  determined  by  §§  106 
and  107,  but  the  decision  reserved  to  the  king  only. 

SECTION  12. 

It  belongs  to  the  king  to  form  treaties  and  alliances  with  foreign 
powers,  after  having  consulted  on  the  subject  with  the  minister  of 
foreign  affairs  and  some  other  member  of  the  State  Council. 

SECTION  13. 

If  the  king  will  undertake  a  war,  or  make  peace,  he  shall  assemble, 
for  an  extraordinary  State  Council,  all  the  members  of  the  Council  of 
State,  representing  to  them  the  motives  and  circumstances  to  be 
taken  into  consideration,  and  asking  their  advice,  which  each  of 
them  shall  give  privately,  in  order  to  be  entered  in  the  Journal  of 
Records,  with  the  responsibility  determined  by  §107.  The  king 
hereafter  shall  have  the  power  to  take  and  execute  such  resolution  as 
he  may  deem  most  beneficial  to  the  kingdom. 

SECTION  14. 

The  king  shall  have  the  supreme  command  of  the  army  and  navy 
of  the  kingdom. 


APPENDIX.  509 


SECTION  15. 

The  objects  relative  to  the  military  command,  that  is  to  say,  such 
as  are  under  the  immediate  care  of  the  king  in  his  quality  as  chief 
commander  of  the  army  and  navy,  will  be  decided  by  the  king  when 
he  rules  the  kingdom  himself  in  presence  of  that  chief  of  the  military 
department  to  whose  province  it  belongs.  Whenever  such  objects 
are  introduced  for  discussion,  that  officer  is  bound  upon  his  own 
responsibility  to  declare  his  opinion  on  the  undertakings  made  by 
the  king,  and  if  his  opinion  disagree  with  the  resolution  of  the  king, 
to  have  his  representations  and  counsels  consigned  to  an  official 
report  certified  by  the  king's  signature.  If  the  above  mentioned 
officer  discovers  that  those  undertakings  are  of  a  hazardous  nature, 
or  founded  upon  precarious  and  insufficient  means  of  execution,  he 
shall,  with  the  consent  of  the  king,  assemble  a  council  of  war  consist 
ing  of  two  or  more  military  officers  of  superior  rank,  that  are  pres 
ent,  and  have  the  advices  of  said  council  entered  upon  record. 

SECTION   16. 

The  king  shall  enforce  and  favor  justice  and  truth;  prevent  and  ob 
struct  violence  and  wrong;  neither  shall  he  injure  nor  permit  any  one 
else  to  injure  any  one's  honor  or  personal  liberty  and  welfare,  unless  he 
be  convicted  by  law  and  and  condemned,  nor  shall  he  seize  anything, 
or  permit  that  any  one's  property,  either  real  or  personal,  may  be 
sei/ed  without  process  or  judgment  according  to  the  rules  prescribed 
by  the  laws  and  statutes  of  Sweden,  neither  shall  he  injure  the  peace 
of  anybody  in  his  premises  nor  permit  him  to  be  troubled ;  nor  shall 
he  banish  any  man  from  one  place  to  another  ;  nor  force  the  liberty 
of  conscience  of  any  man  or  permit  it  to  be  forced  (strained,)  but 
protect  every  one  in  the  free  exercise  of  his  religion,  as  long  as  it  is 
harmless  to  the  peace  of  the  public  and  causes  no  scandal.  The  king 
shall  order  judgment  to  be  rendered  by  the  proper  tribunal. 

SECTION  21. 

The  king  shall  have  two  votes  in  the  decision  of  matters  in  which 
he  thinks  proper  to  assist  in  the  supreme  tribunal.  All  lawful 
demands  may  be  communicated  to  the  king,  and  his  votes  concerning 
the  same  shall  be  collected  and  counted  even  if  he  has  not  joined  the 
deliberations  in  the  Supreme  Court. 


510  APPENDIX. 


SECTION  25. 

In  criminal  cases  it  is  the  king  who  shall  pardon,  modify  capital 
punishment,  and  restitute  honor  as  well  as  the  property  confiscated  in 
favor  of  the  crown.  The  Supreme  Court,  however,  is  to  be  heard  for 
the  petitions  on  that  subject,  and  the  king  will  render  his  resolution 
in  the  State  Council.  It  will  depend,  hereafter,  upon  the  culprit 
whether  he  will  accept  the  pardon  granted  to  him  by  the  king,  or 
suffer  the  penalty  to  which  he  had  been  condemned. 

SECTION  29. 

The  Archbishop  and  the  Bishops  shall  be  chosen  as  heretofore, 
and  the  king  shall  appoint  for  those  places  one  of  the  three  candi 
dates  proposed. 

•i 
SECTION  30. 

The  king,  according  to  the  custom  heretofore  observed,  shall  make 
appointments  for  the  royal  parsonages.  As  to  the  parsonages  called 
consistorial,  the  parishes  shall  be  maintained  according  to  their  elec 
tion  law. 

SECTION  31. 

The  citizens  of  the  towns  shall  continue  to  enjoy  the  right  of  pro 
posing  for  the  office  of  mayor  three  capable  men ;  of  whom  one 
is  to  be  chosen  by  the  king.  In  the  same  manner  it  shall  be  pro 
ceeded  as  to  the  offices  of  councillors  and  the  secretary  of  the 
municipality  of  Stockholm. 

SECTION   36. 

Those  who  occupy  offices  of  the  administration  of  either  higher  or 
lower,  rank,  likewise,  all  the  employes  and  functionaries,  except  those 
mentioned  in  §35,  cannot,  without  preliminary  proceedings  and  judg 
ment,  be  dismissed  by  the  king,  nor  can  they  be  appointed  or  trans 
ferred  to  other  offices  unless  at  their  own  request. 

SECTION    39. 

If  the  king  will  undertake  a  journey  in  a  foreign  land,  he  shall  com 
municate  his  object  to  the  State  Council  when  fully  assembled,  and 
he  shall  hear  the  advice  on  that  subject  in  manner  described  in  §9. 


APPENDIX.  511 

If,  subsequently,  the  king,  after  having  resolved  to  travel,  accom 
plishes  this  design,  he  will  not  occupy  himself  with  the  government  of 
the  kingdom,  and  will  not  exercise  the  royal  prerogative  while  travel 
ling  abroad,  but  the  State  Council  will  conduct,  during  the  king's 
absence,  the  government  in  his  name,  with  all  the  rights  that  the 
present  form  of  government  attributes  to  the  king ;  however,  the 
State  Council  can  never  accord  titles  of  nobility,  nor  promote  to  the 
rank  of  count  or  baron,  or  distribute  orders  of  knighthood ;  likewise 
can  all  the  vacant  charges  only  be  temporarily  conducted  by  those 
who  will  have  been  constituted  for  the  same  by  the  State  Council. 
Whatsoever  there  is  to  be  observed,  if  the  king  remains  longer  than 
twelve  months  out  of  the  kingdom,  is  stated  in  §91. 

SECTION   42. 

If  the  misfortune  should  happen,  that  all  the  male  members  of  the 
royal  family  which  are  invested  with  the  right  of  succession  to  the 
kingdom  are  extinct,  the  State  Council  will  likewise  conduct  the 
government  with  royal  power  and  authority,  until  the  States  assem 
bled  have  elected  a  new  dynasty  and  the  king  elect  have  taken  the 
reins  of  government.  In  each  of  the  cases  mentioned  in  the  four 
preceding  sections,  all  the  members  of  the  Council  shall  be  present 
in  the  State  Council  and  give  their  opinions. 

SECTION  49. 

The  States  of  the  kingdom,  by  virtue  of  the  present  fundamental 
laws,  shall  assemble  after  the  lapse  of  five  years  since  the  last  session 
of  parliament.  During  the  recess  of  every  such  session  the  States 
shall  fix  the  day  on  which  they  have  to  meet  again,  and  record  pre 
cisely  the  time  of  the  convocation,  together  with  the  necessary 
instructions  respecting  the  election  of  deputies.  The  king,  however, 
will  be  at  liberty  to  convoke,  before  that  time,  the  States  of  the 
kingdom  to  an  extraordinary  parliamentary  session. 

SECTION  52. 

The  king  shall  nominate  the  Marshal  of  the  Diet,  the  speakers  of  the 
order  of  the  bourgeoisie  and  that  of  the  peasants;  also  the  secretary  of 
the  order  of  the  peasants.  The  Archbishop  shall  always  be  the 
speaker  of  the  order  of  the  clergy. 


512  APPENDIX. 


SECTION  73 

There  cannot  in  future  any  new  tax  demand  for  men,  money,  or 
food,  be  ordained,  levied  or  exacted  without  the  free  will  and  consent 
of  the  States,  according  to  the  forms  prescribed  as  above. 

SECTION  74. 

The  king  shall  not  have  the  right  of  exacting  any  other  contribu 
tion  to  a  war  that  might  occur  than  a  quota  of  victuals  that  may  he 
required  by  some  county  for  the  maintenance  of  soldiers  during  their 
march,  when  the  different  cities  or  villages  through  which  that  march 
takes  place  are  unable  to  furnish  the  necessary  provisions.  For  such 
contribution,  however,  there  is  cash  to  be  paid  without  delay  to  those 
who  furnish  said  provisions  by  the  treasurer,  according  to  the  terms 
established  for  the  public  markets,  and  with  a  rise  of  one  half  of  their 
amount.  Said  contribution  may  not  be  exacted  for  soldiers  cantoned 
in  some  place,  or  employed  during  the  war-operations ;  these  men 
shall  be  supplied  by  the  depots  established  to  that  end. 

SECTION  76. 

Without  the  consent  of  the  States  of  the  kingdom,  the  king  cannot 
raise  loans  in  the  kingdom  or  in  a  foreign  country,  nor  encumber  the 
State  with  a  new  debt. 

SECTION  79. 

No  change  of  the  coin  in  the  kingdom,  concerning  the  title  or 
weight  either  to  increase  or  diminish  it,  shall  take  place  without  the 
consent  of  the  States  of  the  kingdom  ;  however  the  right  of  the  king 
to  have  money  coined  remains  inviolated. 

SECTION  80. 

The  national  military  establishments  for  the  army  and  navy  shall 
be  sustained  in  accordance  with  the  contracts  with  the  provinces  and 
cities ;  also  the  institution  called  the  assessment  (repartition)  shall 
remain  inviolated  as  to  their  foundations,  until  the  king  and  the 
States  deem  it  necessary  to  make  alterations.  No  new  levy  of  men 
in  the  country  shall  take  place  unless  both  the  king  and  the  States 
consent  to  issue  a  decree  for  that  purpose. 


APPENDIX.  513 


SECTION  85. 

As  fundamental  laws  are  to  be  considered  the  present  form  of 
government,  the  regulation  to  assemble  the  Diets,  the  Succession  Act, 
and  the  edict  concerning  the  general  freedom  of  the  press,  which 
laws  are  to  be  unanimously  established  during  the  session  of  this 
Diet,  by  the  States  and  the  king,  according  to  the  principles  laid 
down  in  the  present  form  of  government. 

SECTION  86. 

By  freedom  of  the  press  is  understood  the  right  of  every  Swede  to 
publish  writings  without  meeting  with  any  obstacle  on  the  part  of  the 
public  authority ;  without  being  thereafter  prosecuted  for  their  con 
tents,  except  before  a  legal  tribunal,  and  unless  said  contents  be  con 
trary  to  the  laws  tending  to  maintain  the  public  peace,  and  stay  the 
progress  of  general  information.  All  the  acts  and  documents  rela 
tive  to  any  cause  whatsoever,  with  exception  of  the  acts  which  are 
drawn  up  in  the  Council  of  ^tate  and  before  the  king,  in  diplomatic 
affairs  and  matters  of  the  military  command,  can  be  published  by  the 
press  without  reserve.  There  shall  not  be  printed  any  records  or 
documents  concerning  the  bank  and  public  debt  which  contain 
objects  that  must  be  kept  secret. 

SECTION  93. 

When  the  king  dies,  and  the  successor  to  the  throne  is  a  minor, 
the  Council  shall  convoke  the  States.  The  publication  for  the  pur 
pose  shall  take  place  within  the  space  of  fifteen  days  after  the  death 
of  the  king,  in  the  churches  of  the  capital,  and  immediately  after 
wards,  in  the  remainder  of  the  kingdom.  It  is  for  the  States,  with 
out  taking  into  consideration  the  testament  of  the  king  deceased, 
concerning  the  administration  of  the  kingdom,  to  constitute  one  or 
more  tutors  (guardians,)  who  shall  preside  in  his  name  and  in  accord 
ance  with  the  present  constitution,  until  the  king  becomes  of  age. 

SECTION  96. 

The   States  of  the  kingdom  shall  appoint  at  each  diet  a  man  dis 
tinguished  for  his  learning  in  the  laws  and  his  integrity,  who  in  the 
capacity  of  their  attorney,  and  according  to  their  instructions,  shall 
watch  that  the  judges  and  employes  comply  with  the  respective  rules 
22* 


514  APPENDIX. 

and  regulations,  and  who  shall  prosecute,  before  the  proper  tribunals 
and  in  due  form  of  law,  such  as  in  the  excercise  of  their  duties 
commit  illegalities  by  being  partial,  showing  regard  for  individuals, 
or  otherwise,  and  who  neglect  the  faithful  performance  of  their 
duties.  Such  attorney  shall,  nevertheless,  be  subject  entirely  to  the 
same  obligations  which  are  prescribed  by  the  code  and  proceedings  to 
be  observed  by  the  public  prosecutors. 

SECTION  108. 

For  the  better  maintaining  the  freedom  of  the  press,  the  States 
shall  nominate  at  each  diet  six  men  famous  for  their  intelligence  and 
learning,  with  the  procurator  of  justice,  who  will  preside  in  their 
•assemblies.  These  mandatories,  of  whom  two  besides  the  proctor  of 
justice  are  to  be  lawyers,  shall  have  the  following  functions  :  If  an 
author  or  a  printer  personally  delivers  to  them  a  manuscript  intended 
for  the  press,  and  asks  their  opinion  on  the  law  relative  to  the 
freedom  of  the  press  in  case  of  a  prosecution,  then  the  proctor  of  jus 
tice  and  at  least  three  mandatories,  one  of  whom  to  be  a  lawyer, 
shall  give  their  opinion  in  writing.  If  they  declare  that  the  manu 
script  may  be  printed,  the  author  and  printer  shall  not  be  liable  to 
any  responsibility,  but  the  said  mandatories  shall  be  held  responsible. 
These  mandatories  are  to  be  elected  by  the  States  through  the 
medium  of  six  electors  chosen  by  each  order  who  have  to  vote  col 
lectively.  If  in  the  interval  of  the  diets  one  of  those  mandatories 
should  fail  (be  missing)  then  the  others  shall  nominate  a  qualified 
person  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

SECTION  109. 

The  parliament  shall  not  continue  longer  than  three  months  from 
the  day  when  the  king  will  have  given  to  the  States  or  their  com 
mittee,  information  respecting  the  condition  of  the  public  finances 
and  the  necessities  of  the  State.  If,  however,  by  this  time  the  States 
of  the  kingdom  have  not  closed  the  business  of  the  diet,  they  have 
to  inform  the  king  and  demand  that  the  diet  may  be  extended  to  a 
time  not  longer  than  one  month,  which  to  refuse  or  prevent  the  king 
shall  not  have  the  power.  If,  contrary  to  expectation,  it  might  hap 
pen  that  at  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  said  prolongation  the  States 
of  the  kingdom  have  not  settled  the  condition  of  the  national  expen 
ditures,  or  if  they  have  been  engaged  in  fixing  upon  the  amount  of 
a  new  subsidy,  then  shall  the  king  dissolve  the  States,  and  the  pre- 


APPENDIX.  515 

vious  subsidy  shall  continue  until  the  next  diet.  If  the  total  amount 
of  the  subsidy  be  determined  and  the  States  cannot  agree  upon  the 
repartition,  then  in  accordance  with  the  report  of  the  sum  which  has 
been  fixed  upon  and  that  which  had  been  assessed  on  the  preceding 
diet,  shall  the  articles  fixed  upon  in  the  last  edict  of  subsidy  be  raised 
or  lessened  (diminished)  in  equal  proportion,  and  the  States  shall 
commission  their  deputies  to  the  bank  and  public  debt  to  draw  up 
and  dispatch,  according  to  this  principle,  a  new  edict  of  subsidy. 

SECTION  110. 

No  deputy  to  the  diet  can  be  prosecuted  by  law  nor  deprived  of  his 
liberty  for  his  actions  and  discourses  in  the  assemblies  of  the  orders  of 
the  kingdom  or  in  the  State  Committees,  unless  the  order  to  which  he 
belongs  have  given  permission  by  a  formal  decision  that  has  been 
acceded  to  by  five-sixths  of  the  members  of  the  order  who  were 
present  when  the  opinions  were  given  in  general  assembly.  Neither 
civn  a  deputy  be  sent  away  from  the  seat  of  parliament.  If  any  indi 
vidual  or  body,  whether  civil,  military,  or  a  party  of  what  name 
soever,  either  of  their  own  accord  or  in  consequence  of  an  order, 
undertake  to  commit  violence  upon  the  States  of  the  kingdom  or 
their  committees,  or  a  deputy  in  particular,  or  undertake  to  injure 
the  freedom  of  their  deliberations  and  decisions,  that  shall  be  con 
sidered  as  treason,  and  it  will  depend  upon  the  States  to  order  the 
prosecution  by  lajv  for  such  offences. 

SECTION  111. 

If,  however,  a  deputy  during  the  session  of  the  diet,  on  his  way  to 
or  his  return  from  the  diet,  be  distured  by  words  or  deeds,  after  hav 
ing  given  information  as  to  his  destination,  such  a  case  will  be 
regarded  and  punished  as  an  offeflce  against  the  public  safety. 

SECTION  112. 

No  employe  nor  functionary  shall  improperly,  and  by  authority  of 
his  office,  exert  his  influence  upon  the  elections  of  deputies.  If  any 
one  is  doing  so  he  shall  forfeit  his  place. 

SECTION  113. 

The  mandatories  charged  with  the  assessments,  and  with  the  appli 
cation  of  the  dispositions  concerning  the  subsidies,  shall  not  be  liable 
to  any  responsibility  for  their  assessments. 


516  APPENDIX. 


SECTION  114. 

The  king  will  maintain  all  the  States  of  the  kingdom  in  the  enjoy 
ment  of  their  privileges,  advantages,  rights  and  liberties. 

In  witness  whereof  we  have  agreed  to  confirm,  accept  and  sanction 
this  act,  signing  and  affixing  thereto  our  names  and  seals.     Given  at 
Stockholm  on  the  sixth  day  of  June  in  the  year  of  grace  1809. 
On  the  part  of  the  Order  of  the  Nobility, 

M.  ANKARSVARD,  h.  t.  Marshal  of  the  Diet. 
On  the  part  of  the  Order  of  the  Clergy, 

IAC.  Ax.  LINDBLOM,  Speaker. 
On  the  part  of  the  Order  of  the  Bourgeoisie, 

H.  N.  SCHVAN,  h.  t.   Speaker 
On  the  part  of  the  Order  of  the  Peasants, 

LARS  OLSSON,  h.  t.  Speaker. 

All  that  is  herein  prescribed,  we  will  not  only  ourselves  accept  as 
the  inviolable  fundamental  law,  but  we  command  and  order  all  those 
who  owe  faith,  respect  and  obedience  to  us  and  our  successors,  as  well 
as  to  the  kingdom,  to  acknowledge  the  present  (actual)  form  of  govern 
ment,  to  observe  it,  and  to  conform  and  submit  themselves  to  the  same. 
In  testimony  whereof  we  have  signed  and  confirmed  this  act  by  our 
own  hand,  and  have  avowedly  hereto  affixed  our  royal  seal- 
Dated  in  our  residence  at  Stockholm  on  the  sixth  day  of  the  month 
of  June,  in  the  year  of  grace  1809. 

CHARLES. 


CHARLES    L.    BRACE'S    WORKS.  17 


Inring  torrt  iBnrks, 

H  U  N  Q  A  R  Y      IN      1851, 

WITH   AN   EXPERIENCE    OP   THE   AUSTRIAN   POLICE. 

BY    CHARLES    LORING    ERAGE. 

I  vol.,  12mo.,  cloth.     Price  $1  25. 

The  author  of  this  book,  a  young  American,  made  a  pedestrian  tour  over   a  consider- 

Ae  portion  of  Europe.  He  reached  Hungary  not  long  after  the  suppression  of  the 
Revolution.  Here  he  was  brought  into  contact  with  the  people  of  every  class  and  grade, 
and  was  enabled  to  form  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  with  them  than  has  been  made 
by  any  other  traveller  who  has  written  in  our  language.  His  intimacy  with  the  inhabit 
ants  excited  the  suspicions  of  the  Austrian  Authorities,  and  he  was  arrested  and  thrown 
into  prison  as  a  revolutionary  agent.  He,  however,  found  means  to  make  his  condition 
known  to  our  minister  at  Vienna,  through  whose  interposition  he  was  at  length  released 
and  conducted  out  of  the  country. 

"Upon  the  particular  field  of  Hungary,  this  is  by  far  the  most  complete  and  reliable 
work  in  the  language  ;  a  work  that  all  should  read  who  would  understand  the  institutions, 
the  character,  and  the  spirit  of  a  people  who  just  now  have  so  urgent  a  claim  on  our 
sympathy."  —  _V.  Y.  Independent, 

"  There  is  probably  not  a  work  within  the  reach  of  the  English  scholar  that  can  afford 
him  such  a  satisfactory  view  of  Hungary  as  it  now  is,  as  this  work  of  Mr.  Brace."  — 
Christian  Intelligencer. 

"  It  is  a  graphic  picture  of  the  people  and  institutions  of  Hungary  at  the  present  moment 
by  one  who  writes  what  he  saw  and  heard,  and  who  was  well  qualified  to  judge."  —  Troy 
Daily  Post. 

HOME    LIFE    IN    QERMANY. 

EMBRACING    A    PICTURE     OF    THE    SOCIAL    LIFE,    CONVERSATIONS,    MODES     0* 
THOUGHT,   HABITS,   STYLE    OF  LIVING,   ETC.,    OF  THE    GERMANS. 

BY  CHARLES  LORING  BRACE. 
1  vol..  12mo.,  cloth.     Price  $1  25. 

This  agreeable  volume  introduces  the  reader  into  the  very  heart  of  German  life  in  all 
its  pleasant  varieties.  He  takes  his  seat  with  the  author  at  the  breakfast-table  ;  enters 
into  a  German  dinner  conversation,  discusses  art  and  social  life  with  professors,  students, 
and  intelligent  women;  walks  over  a  pleasant  Holstein  farm;  talks  with  mechanics  and 
merchants  at  Hamburg,  and  Berlin,  and  Dresden;  visits  the  universities,  smokes  and 
drinks  with  the  students  in  all  due  moderation.  In  no  way,  short  of  making  just  such  a 
visit  as  the  author  did,  can  an  American  gain  so  good  an  acquaintance  with  the  home 
life  of  that  people  who  are  now  adding  more  largely  than  any  other  to  the  population  of 
our  Western  States. 

"  Having  travelled  over  large  portions  of  the  country  on  foot,  and  mingling  freely  with 
the  inhabitants  in  their  houses,  the  author  relates  his  various  experiences,  many  of  which 
are  sufficiently  strange  to  figure  in  a  romance."  —  N~.  Y.  Tribune. 


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